Pokemon: Crimson Version
by Panzerraptor
Summary: Wes and Rui are on a new adventure in the Sinnoh region. With their traveling companion Ridley, the trio are on a journey for gym badges and Shadow Pokemon. Will they meet their goals and save the world? Read and find out! Episode 5: Rowdy Rumble
1. Episode 1: Destiny Begins

Author's Note 1: Yes! I'm back people. After nearly a year off, I've came back. For those who don't know me, I'm Panzerraptor, author of such stories as Star Ocean: Cyrus' Side and Path of the Dark One. And yes, this is a Pokemon story. Now I know what you're thinking. "Why would the ol' might Panzerraptor want to write a story like this." Before you all start hatin', no this is not a story about the show (it sucks). This is more loosely based off the games (though there will be a few references to the anime). This is a story with action, characters with depth, some flirting, and some randomness with very little moral standing. Enjoy!

Author's Note 2: I do not own Pokemon. That belongs to Nintendo. But if I did, it would be better than the crap on the T.V.

Author's Note 3: Italicized sentence is for thought. An italicized word shows emphasis. Parenthesis is added details.

Warning: Be prepared for some language, action, and a little innuendo.

* * *

About six months ago, a crisis struck a far off land known as Orre. A lawless land covered mainly by desert, Pokemon bred as emotionless fighting machines were as common as the crime that plagued the area. These "Shadow Pokemon" were created by a joint partnership between two crime syndicates known as Team Snagem and Cipher. Their goal: to mass-produce these Shadow Pokemon in their quest to rule the world.

However, their plans were foiled by two young heroes: Wes, a young ex-member of Team Snagem who carries a Snag Machine; and Rui, a girl with a unique ability to see the dark aura of the augmented Pokemon. Together, the duo traveled through Orre, capturing and purifying the hearts of the Shadow Pokemon. With the leaders of Cipher and Team Snaggem defeated, the world was saved from their dastardly plot. After their adventure in Orre, Wes and Rui left to a distant land known as Sinnoh.

* * *

Episode 1: Destiny Begins

Lying on a grassy hillside of Route 201, accompanied his Pokemon Espeon and Umbreon, Wes rested peacefully as he watched the clouds float by. With the clouds floating by and the leaves of nearby trees whistling past, the seventeen year old hero felt at ease. He would rather be relaxing in a place like this than being in a crowded city anyday. "Wes! Food's ready!" the voice of a young woman called. Hearing this, both he and his comrades got to their feet and headed to a checkered blanket just behind them. As he moved, the tails of his blue trenchcoat swayed in the breeze. Sitting on the sheet with a sandwich in her hands was his friend Rui. She prepared their meal (which was a ham & cheese sandwich and fruit punch). His Pokemon also enjoyed their food (which was in bowls). "How's you're sandwich?" the pony-tailed girl asked.

"It's great. Thanks."

"That's good to hear." She then turned to the two Eevee-lutions and asked, "How about you two's?" Both Pokemon replied with pleasant cries before returning to their food. "So, how do you like it here so far, Wes?"

"It's… okay, I guess," the young man replied. "A pretty quiet place."

"Anyway, what do you think we should do here?" Rui asked.

"I wasn't really planning on doing anything," Wes said nonchalantly before taking a bite out of his sandwich. "I just wanted to travel around and see some sights."

"Oh that makes sense," Rui said. "After all you've been through, I guess you deserve a break."

"But you know..." Wes began. "Maybe I should try that Pokemon League thing going on."

"You mean the event where trainers around the region battle gym leaders for a chance at being the champion of Sinnoh?"

"That's the one."

"Hey, that's a great idea!" Rui said with a smile. "I bet you'll do great!"

"You think so?"

"I know so! Those gym leaders won't stand a chance!"

Wes replied with a nod. He then turned to his partners to hear their opinions. "Espeon. Umbreon. What do you guys think?" The two barked, ready to take on this new challenge. "I thought so."

"After we finish eating, how about we go to Sandgem Town to get you registered."

"Sandgem. Alright then," Wes said with a smile. Another challenge, and another adventure was about to begin shortly. Usually, people who had just saved the world would sit back and call it a day. However, Wes isn't like that. He's one of those people that like to mix business and pleasure, especially when it comes to battling. His two pokemon share this trait and were also itching for a battle.

Rui chuckled to herself. She couldn't help but to smile at Wes. He was always ready for anything and everything. Always looking for another challenge. It was something that she admired in him.

* * *

Not too far away, another trainer was making his way through the forest, heading to Twinleaf Town. He was a dark-skinned teen of seventeen years wearing a black jacket, pants with red and black stripes, and a shirt that was black with a blue dragon on the front. This was Ridley, semi-finalist of Hoenn's Pokemon League. After four months of training, he came to Sinnoh to defeat this league's gym leaders, catch more pokemon, and get as many women's numbers as possible.

After racing through the forest, the young teen stopped on a nearby hill and gazed at the town below. "Let's see… I just passed Twinleaf. So then this must be Sandgem." Ridley clenched his hand and smirked. "Cool! Then let's do this thing!" With that said, the black teen dashed down the hill and picking up speed by the second. It wasn't long until he tripped over a stone (or rather a small pebble) and started cart-wheeling uncontrollably down the hill. By the time he crashed to the bottom of the hill, the traveler groaned in pain. "Damn… it…!" he replied. "I knew… this wasn't a… good idea…"

* * *

After having their lunch and gathering the equipment, Wes and Rui left Route 201 and arrived at Sandgem Town, a town known for its local beach. It wasn't long after they entered that they saw a poster on a window of a nearby building. Interested, Wes walked to the large paper and read it. "Pokemon League Regional Championship. Your chance to be a true master. Sign in at the local Pokemon Center."

"I think the center is on the other side of town," Rui said as she pointed to a white building with a red roof. "You go and get registered."

"Alright. Where are you going to be?"

"I'll be at the beach."

"Alright then, I'll see you there." With that said, the two went their separate ways with Wes heading to the center and Rui to the beach. By the time Wes arrived at the building, he stood before the in front of its doors and smiled. "This is it," he said before he continued walking. As soon as the doors opened, Wes accidentally bumped into another trainer who was leaving. It was Ridley, who had just finished registering. "Excuse me," Wes said.

"Yo, my bad," Ridley also replied before they both continued on their path.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the beach, Rui sat on the cool sand watching the ebb and flow of the tides crash under the setting sun's glow. However, her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of approaching footprints. At first, she thought they were Wes'. That was until she turned around and saw it to be a different figure. It was a trainer with dark skin and a warm smile on his face. "Hey there," he said smoothly. "What's up?"

"Um, nothing," Rui replied.

The teen walked forward until he stood about a foot from Rui's side. "Mind if I sit here? Or would rather be alone?" he asked her.

"Not at all. It's okay." the girl said.

With a nod, the trainer sat down on the sand. "So do you have a name?"

"Oh! My name is Rui. Nice to meet you."

"Rui, huh? Cute name for a cute girl," the teen complimented flirtatiously.

"Uh... um..." Rui was caught off guard and began blushing. However, she tried her best to not show it. It wasn't everyday someone would call her cute right out of the blue (not that she isn't, but still). "What's your name?"

"Mine? I'm Ridley, Pokemon Trainer extraordinare. At your service," he said with a nonchalant grin. "So Rui, you from around here?"

"No. I'm actually from Ecruteak City."

"Ecruteak... That's all the way in Johto, right?" Ridley asked. "Talk about a long hike. Guess you're a serious trainer."

"Actually, I'm not a trainer."

"You're not?"

"No. I'm traveling with a friend who is one. I met him on my visit from my grandparents in Orre."

"Wait, you mean _the_ Orre?" Ridley asked in surprise. "As in the sandtrap filled with some of the hardest trainers known that battle in those coliseums."

"That's the one."

"That is so cool. I've always wanted to check that place out." Ridley's fascination of Orre stems mostly from rumors heard from other trainers. They say it's a land filled with tough trainers that battle inside domes. Most trainers usually think such a region as a low-ranking, barbaric wasteland when they hear of it. Ridley, on the other hand, sees it as a challenge-filled paradise. "And you say you're friend's from there? I'm betting he's one skilled cat."

"He is. Wes is strong, smart, and brave. If it weren't for him, well..." Rui turned her head down and blushed. "I-I'm just glad I met him."

"I see..." Ridley replied. "Sounds like somebody I wanna throwdown with."

"Indeed," an unknown voice said.

"What the...!?" Quickly, Ridley stood to his feet and glared at the source of the voice.

A few meters away stood a trainer with black spiked hair. He wore a brown cloak with blue jeans and a white vest. Ridley glared at the stranger intensely. From their gazes, Rui couldn't help but feel that there was some history between the two. She also felt there was something wrong as a faint, tainted aura blanketed the unknown person's body. "Still playing the role of Cassanova, I see," he said smuggly. "What a simpleton. Don't you ever learn?"

"Yeah. I've learned how much of an annoying punk you are!" Ridley hissed.

"Ridley, who's that?" Rui asked as she got up, a nervous look on her face.

"A bad cold that just won't ghost."

"I am Kawagata, member of Team Rocket," he introduced graciously with a bow.

"Team Rocket?" Rui asked. She's heard of that group. They're an organization known for their criminal acts that extend from grand larceny to stealing Pokemon, among other things. However, the branch in Rui's homeland was wiped out (give or take a few operatives futily trying to ressurect). The only place where they're operative is in the Kanto region. "But wait. If you're a Rocket, why are you in Sinnoh?"

"Because this chump's like some kind of stalker," Ridley said. "Everywhere I go, he's always on my tail and ready to get all up in my grill."

"Stalker is such a harsh word," Kawagata said. "I perfer the term 'full-active observational tracker.'"

"I perfer the term psycho groupie," Ridley replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"And true, Team Rocket's main territory is in Kanto. However the organization has now developed a joint partnership with this region's group of rapscallions. Aside from this kid, my reason is also to insure this commonwealth between our perspective businesses."

"So who the hell are they called? Team Planet? Universe Inc.?" Ridley quipped. "Come on! Give me somethin'!"

"So close, yet so far, my friend. Anyway, I believe we should get back to business. Hand over your Pokemon, children. Or suffer my wrath."

Rui held her hands clenched to her chest and stared in fear. There was something about this member. Quickly, Ridley shielded the girl from the Rocket's view. "Yo, don't be tryin' to muscle on a lady. She don't even have any Pokes on her."

"So be it. But I know for a fact that you do. So why don't you just hand over your Pokemon."

Pulling a Pokeball from his belt, Ridley held it forward. "In yo' dreams, bitch! You'll have to try prying it out of my black hands!"

"Tsk tsk tsk," Kawagata said as he shook his head. "I was so hoping you would cooperate."

"You serious!? Man, you Rockets are so dumb, you make Slowpoke look friggin' quick-witted." He then turned his head to Rui. "Sorry that our little chat was interrupted. How 'bout you get yo' cute self outta here. I'll catch ya later."

"O-okay," the young girl said before she hurried to the Pokemon Center Wes.

"So much for my generous, if not merciful, character," he said as he pulled out his own Pokeball. "Once more I'll have to resort to forceful tactics." With that said, Kawagata tossed the object in the air. "Go, Graveler!" The ball opened and unleashed a large blast of energy. Soon a medium sized creature made of rock appeared on the sandy beach. Its body was round with short legs and four arms (two short arms held against its body and a long, extra pair). The Pokemon growled, ready for combat.

"Oh no, a boulder! What is I gonna do!?" replied Ridley sarcastically. "I know! Turn Rocky into topsoil. Let's go Croconaw!" Ridley hurled his Pokeball which opened in midair. Appearing on the beach was a small blue Pokemon with red spikes on its head, back, and tail. With a large round head, with sharp jaws, and small arms, it looked like a cross between an alligator and a tyrannosaur. "Let's show 'em what we got! Croconaw, drench this sucka with Water Gun!" As instructed, the water-type unleashed a powerful stream of water directed at the foe.

"Nice try," replied Kawagata calmly. "Graveler, use Dig!" Before the attack could cause any damage, Graveler quickly burrowed into the sand to evade the attack.

Croconaw surveyed the beach, trying to find any trace of the burrowing enemy. "Standing their makes you a sitin' duck!" Ridley replied. "Hustle, man! Hustle!" Using its trainer's words of advice, the blue Pokemon raced around the area, hoping it's mobility would be it's saving grace from the attack.

"Nice try. If you don't know a ground-type can sense the vibrations given off by any movement on the ground. Even if it's below the surface," Kawagata said with a smirk. Ridley could only glare daggers at the Team Rocket trainer. "You've given off your position and there's no escape. Now reveal yourself!" Quickly, Graveler erupted from the ground, punching Crocnaw under its massive jaw. "Now finish it with Rock Blast!" With its large arms, Graveler reached into the sand and tossed large stones at Croconaw. The big jaw Pokemon raced over to the sea, trying to avoid the heavy rocks. However, it was hit by one of the large falling rocks by the time it reached the shoreline. Kawagata chuckled. "A cowardly crocodile. How humorous! I expected more of a challenge."

"You're not the only one with an ace up his sleeve," Ridley said, earning a confused look from the Rocket. The trainer's Croconaw managed to move the rock off of its body and continue to the sea. "Time for the finalie. Your Graveler's all washed-up. Surf's up, dude!" As if on cue, a large tidal wave arose from the sea. Riding on top of the wave was none other than Ridley's Croconaw. Graveler stood flabbergasted as the tsunami overshadowed the rock-type before crashing into it with devastating force. After the tide receeded, Kawagata's Graveler laid unconscious on the moist sand. Ridley and his Crocnaw cheered over their victory.

"Impressive, but the clock to your loss is ticking away," Kawagata said as Graveler was returned to its Pokeball with a beam from its center.

"Yo, don't you mean to _your_ loss?"

Without a retort, Kawagata threw another Pokeball. Appearing from it was an electric-type Pokemon with two antennae sticking from the sides of its head and powerful arms. Its entire body (including its cat-like tairl) was covered in tiger stripes. "Electrabuzz, say hello." The foe's Pokemon yelled as electricity surged from the top of its head to the rest of its body. "Now say goodbye to Croconaw." With another yell, the beast rushed toward the blue reptile.

"Croconaw! Give it a Water Gun!" Defending itself from the enemy, Croconaw fired a Water Gun attack, hitting Electrabuzz directly. "Nice! Keep it up!"

However, Electrabuzz, was using its strength to hold back the force of the water. "Enough of this! Electabuzz, attack with Thunder Punch!" With its right hand blanketed in electric current, Electabuzz charged at Croconaw head on. Seeing it's attack wasn't working, the water-type stopped, hoping to dodge from the viscious, super-effective strike. Unfortunately, Electabuzz hit its mark and Croconaw flew a few feet away.

"Croconaw!" Ridley shouted. The Pokemon tried to return to its feet. But between the damage it took and the electric current traveling throughout its body, it instantly fainted. "Take a chill pill, man." After his Pokemon returned in its ball, Ridley turned to enemy. Trying to intimidate Ridley, Electrabuzz pounded its massive fists to the ground and shook its head at the trainer. "Aight, you got some muscle on your side. But I got speed and skill, ya fee me!?" The dark-skinned trainer tossed his next Pokeball. "Grovyle, unleash your green fury." Appearing from the Pokeball was a small, agile, green, dinosaur-like Pokemon with a pink underside. It had two leaves for tails and a large leaf flowing from the back of its head. Its arms were decorated with leafy projections. It stood in a silent nonchalance like a ninja, staring intently at its opponent.

"Grovyle, huh? Interesting..." Kawagata said.

* * *

Not too far away, at the Pokemon Center, Wes had just left the building. With his Pokemon rejuvenated and resting in the Pokeballs and his registration completed, the trainer smirked to himself. "I'm all set now. Pokemon League, here I come."

"Wes!" The sound of a girl caught broke his train of thought. Hurrying toward the ex-Snaggem member was Rui, her hand waving in the air. A look of concern on her face. "Wes!" she called again.

"Rui?" Wes said with both confusion and surprise. By the time Rui arrived, she bent forward, trying to catch her breath. "What's going on? I thought you were at the beach?"

"I was!" she replied. "But then a member of Team Rocket showed up."

"Team Rocket?"

"It's a criminal organization. Anyway, he's battling with somebody right now."

"Yeah, so what does that have to do with us?" Wes said nonchalantly. "

"Wes!" Rui replied. "How could you say that!?"

"What? I'm just saying that we shouldn't butt in unless it concerns us also. Plus, I bet that this Rocket member is nothing but a pushover," Wes explained. Rui knew that Wes was usually like this: a maverick, solitary young man who would rather keep to himself than assist anyone. Of course, beneath that hardened, cold exterior, Wes was indeed a kind trainer with a good heart and a sense of justice. Rui knows that as she has seen her companion displayed this numerous times.

"There was something strange about him," Rui said suddenly. Wes only looked at Rui, who returned her focus to the direction of the beach. "It was like his body was covered in a dark aura. Almost like the Cipher grunts that carried Shadow Pokemon. It's faint, but I could still feel it." She then turned back to Wes, hoping he had an answer. "You don't think that there are still some?"

Wes stood silently, trying to make sense of what Rui said. After defeating Evice back in Orre and putting a stop to his organization, they thought the Shadow Incident had ended. Between then and now, there was no reports of strange any strange Pokemon. There's a chance that the Shadow Pokemon were still being produced somewhere else. Surely after the main headquarters in Orre was found and shutdown, the project would also have been abandoned. Whatever the case, he knew he couldn't simply ignore it. "Fine," the trainer said. "We'll check it out. But that's all."

"Great!" Rui said with a smile. "Thank you, Wes!"

"Yeah, yeah." With no time to loose, the duo raced to the beach as fast as they could. If what Rui felt was the real thing, then there was an innocent trainer putting himself in danger.

* * *

Back on the beach, Grovyle had his paws locked with Electabuzz's. Both Pokemon were pushing against eachother, testing one another's strength. Though smaller than the striped enemy and not as strong, Grovyle was still holding its ground. The claws on its toes dug into the sand to keep it in place. This shoving match had lasted for a few minutes with both Pokemon not giving an inch.

"I see your Grovyle is displaying its inner strength as usual," he said. "Let's see how resilient it truly is. Now Electabuzz! Thunderbolt!" On command, Electabuzz unleashed its electricity, blasting Grovyle with electric shock.

The wood gecko Pokemon was taking the bulk of the damage. It yelped in pain. "Grovyle!" Ridley shouted. "Get out of there, quick!" Using the leaf on its head, Grovyle wacked the foe in the face, causing it to stagger back and stop the move. Using this opportunity, Grovyle leaped back, but fell to one knee when it landed. _"Damn!"_ Ridley thought. _"Grass-types might have the upper hand over a loose fuse like Electabuzz. But that zappin' was just too much."_ Grovyle stood back up, shaking off the last of the current that surged its body. "Alright, time to use the quickness." With a new strategy in mind, the grass-type rushed toward Electabuzz, which stared intently at its target.

"Thunderpunch!" With electricity gathering around its fist, Electabuzz sped toward the green reptile. As soon as it was in range, Electabuzz threw its fist forward.

However, Grovyle and Ridley saw this attack coming. "Go beneath it and get behind." Taking its trainer's advice, Grovyle ducked under the electrical haymaker, before leaping in the air. "Now bust a cap with Bullet Seed!" Turning around, Grovyle fired a barrage of high-speed seeds from its mouth. The attack hit the back of Electabuzz, delivering a good amount of damage. The enemy fell from the assault, but returned to its feet, enraged by the attack.

"Seems you made it angry. I pity you," Kawagata said. "Now use Low Kick."

"Use Agility!" Electabuzz went on the attack, striking Grovyle with numerous kicks. As it attacked, Grovyle used its speed to evade the strikes from the rival's sharp clawed lower limbs. _"Fast as it is, it ain't the Roadrunner. Gotta think of something."_ Ridley watched the Electabuzz. It didn't take long for the trainer to see that between kicks, there was a small opening before it threw a foot at its intended target. Noticing the window of opportunity, Ridley shouted, "Leaf Blade!" In an instant, Grovyle's arm leaves glowed before fusing into a long sickle. Like a ninja using a dagger, Grovyle slashed at the electric Pokemon. Electabuzz sailed a few feet backward before crashing to the ground.

The foe tried picking up its head, but was too weak and dropped it to the ground. "Return," Kawagata called as his Pokemon returned to its ball.

"That's it, fool!" shouted Ridley triumphantly. "You're all out! I won, son!"

"Actually, I have a secret weapon, Ridley," Kawagata replied calmly. Ridley stared at him with a serious glare. During their earlier meets, Kawagata's main Pokemon were Graveler and Electabuzz. Sure he would carry another one or two from time to time, but that was rare. With a Pokeball in his hand and a sinister smirk on his face, Kawagata tossed the small sphere. Materializing from the ball was a large, red lobster-like creature with a large star on its forehead. It's claws were massive with two spikes on each side. The large body was held up by a strong pair of back legs and a front pair of smaller insect-like legs. "Meet my newest tool of mayhem!"

"A Crawdaunt!? That's your secret weapon!? You trippin'!" Ridley replied in a cocky tone. " It's a powerhouse, fo' sho'. But I got the type advantage."

"Then you won't mind proving your theory," goaded Kawagata with folded arms.

"Fine, I will! Grovyle, take it out with Leaf Blade!" With the leaves on its arms transforming into lengthy, glowing sickles, Grovyle charged at the shellfish. The closer the reptile approached, both Kawagata and his Crawdaunt seemed relatively calm. As soon as it was in close range, Grovyle lept in the air and attacked.

"You underestimated," the Rocket replied. "Now you shall pay the price. Vicegrip." Crawdaunt grabbed Grovyle from the air with its pincer. Ridley and Grovyle were in shock. There's no way a large Pokemon, especially a sluggish water-type like Crawdaunt would react so quickly. Trapped in the enemy's massive appendage, Grovyle cried in pain as its arm was getting crushed. Unable to maintain its focus, Grovyle's Leaf Blade was powered down. "Now end it with Crabhammer!" Gathering energy with its free hand (causing it to glow in the process), Crawdaunt punched the small reptile forward. The attack was highly damaging and Grovyle landed a short distance away from Ridley's feet.

"Grovyle!" the young trainer replied as he picked up his Pokemon's head. Grovyle was badly damaged. Its arm was all red and bruised from Crawdaunt's attack. "Yo, man, give yo' boy a holla." Grovyle weakly pulled its head up. However, from both the injuries and fatigue, the grass-type slipped in unconsciousness. Pulling out Grovyle's Pokeball, Ridley recalled the Pokemon back.

"Seem the tables have turned, Ridley," Kawagata said in a smug manner. "Now there's only one more Pokemon you have left that can fight. But honestly, what's the point of going on. You might as well cut your losses and hand over the remaining Pokemon."

"Never," Ridley said. "I'll never give in to a punk like you! I don't know what you did with red lobster there, but I'm gonna whoop you to next week. Even to the very last breath."

As Ridley was grabbed his remaining Pokeball, Rui and Wes had just arrived on a hill overlooking the beach. As Rui took a close look at Kawagata's Pokemon and was horrified by the revelation. Wes noticed her reaction and in a concerned tone asked, "Rui, are you feeling okay?"

"That Pokemon right there..." she said flabbergasted. "It's a Shadow Pokemon!"

"What!?" Wes was in disbelief. A leftover from a diabolical scheme that nearly came through. This discovery sent chills down his spine.

"What do we do, Wes?"

"We can't do anything right now," Wes said. Rui glanced at the trainer. "If it attacks him directly or that Rocket tries anything, that's when I'll step in. Besides, I want to see just how good this guy really is."

"Feel the burn! Go, Charmeleon!" Throwing his last Pokeball, a fire-type dinosaur-like Pokemon with gold colored skin arrived on the scene, sparkling stars appeared on its release. Both its legs and its long, muscular arms were tipped with three sharp claws. Protruding from the back of its head was a small crest and its tail had a good sized flame on its tip.

Both Wes and Rui were surprised by the new arrival on the beach. "Wait! Aren't Charmeleon usually red!?" Rui asked in shock.

"They are..." Wes responded in a cool tone to mask his astonishment. "That must be a shiny pokemon."

"That's a shiny?" Rui asked.

"Yes. This is also the first time I've seen one. They're known for their alternate color and are thought to be more powerful than the normal forms. Of course no one knows for sure due to their rarity."

"Well, well. You've decided to face defeat in a desperate show of resistance. I'm sure there's someone who would see this as admirable," Kawagata said. "I, on the other hand, see it as a futile effort."

"You wish! Charmeleon and I are gonna boil that shrimp!"

"So your pecan-sized brain believes. Crawdaunt, show me a Crabhammer." With a shout, Crawdaunt raced into battle. Shuffling toward the flame Pokemon at high speed, Crawdaunt's giant claw gathered energy for its coming attack.

"Go, Charmeleon!" Charmeleon charged at Crawdaunt as fast as it could, its tail swinging from side to side with every step. By the time the two met halfway, Crawdaunt swung its massive arm. "Charmeleon, Smokescreen!" Evading the foe's attack by leaping in the air, Charmeleon spewed a stream of smoke from its jaws at the enemy. As Charmeleon landed behind the enemy Pokemon, Crawdaunt was swinging it's massive pincers in a desperate attempt to hit something due to the Smokescreen lowering its accuracy.

"Focus and attack with Vicegrip!" Finally out of the smoke, though still unable to see straight, Crawdaunt charged, eagerly snapping its pincers. By the time it was in close enough range, Crawdaunt threw one of its deadly clawed limbs forward. However, due to its sight and the target's speed, Crawdaunt was having problems landing a hit.

"Throw this fool the slip with another Smokescreen!" On the order, the flame Pokemon unleashed another cloud of smoke before sidestepping from the blinded foe's wild swing. "Looks like it's in the dark," Ridley said. "Let's shed a little light on the situation with Sunny Day!" Gathering energy in its hands, Charmeleon fired an intense beam of light straight at the sun. In a few seconds, the once faint orange light of the setting sun intensified.

"What's Ridley doing?" Rui asked as she watch the battle with a concerned look.

"He knows that his Pokemon has a severe disadvantage over Crawdaunt," Wes said with an observing tone. "So to even the playing field, he used Smokescreen to decrease its accuracy. Then he used Sunny Day which boosts fire-type attacks and weakens water-type moves."

"This battle has lasted long enough!" shouted Kawagata. "Crawdaunt, use Bubblebeam." With the command issued, Crawdaunt fired a stream of exploding bubbles at Charmeleon. Before the gold reptile could react, it was thrown to the ground by the Water-type move. Kawagata laughed maniacly. "It's over, neophyte!" he gloated. "Your Charmeleon is now mine!" He continued his laughter before he noticed the fire-type returning to its feet. Shaking its head, the Pokemon was ready for battle once more. "H-How is this possible?"

"Now who's underestimated? Just like a battery, Charmeleon's getting his power from the sun!" Ridley replied. "Your attacks don't have the punch they used to. But my boy's moves sure do. Charmeleon! Clock this fool with Fire Punch!" With its right hand blanketed with intense flames, Charmeleon raced toward Crawdaunt as quickly as it could with its fist pulled back. By the time Charmeleon was in range, the shiny landed a powerful punch in the foe's face. Upon fiery impact, Crawdaunt was flown back a few feet from where it stood.

However, the attack, as strong as it was, did not keep it down. Crawdaunt propped itself off the sand using its rear feet and pincers. The Pokemon breathed heavily. Not from fatigue, but from seething anger. Charmeleon sensed that something was wrong and began snarling. Ridley noticed his Pokemon's reaction. Glancing at the enemy Pokemon, a shiver traveled down his spine. "Somethin's up. Stay on your toes Charmeleon." Still snarling, Charmeleon braced for whatever was going to occur.

From the hill, Rui gasped in horror. She watched as the Shadow Pokemon aura changed from dark purple to an intense mix of black and dark red. "Oh no!" replied Rui with hands covering her mouth. "It's in Hyper Mode!"

Kawagata grinned as his Pokemon's rage and power increased. "I'm sure you've guess it by now that this is no ordinary Pokemon. It's a Shadow Pokemon."

"A Shadow Pokemon? What the hell is that?"

"A creature of unstoppable power. An ultimate fighting machine. And the key to my victory as well as your defeat. Now Crawdaunt, release the dark power festering within through Shadow End!" Streaking across the sand with a dark trail, Crawdaunt collides with Charmeleon like a football quarterback tackling a defensive player. The attack was so strong and powerful, the flame Pokemon was launched back, bouncing on the sand's surface numerous times before sliding to a stop near the hill Wes and Rui were on. "Excellent job, Crawdaunt," Kawagata congratulated. However, the attack, as strong as it was, did some damage to the user as well. Crawdaunt dropped to its knees from the loss of energy. "Seems the attack had a backlash effect. No matter. Victory is secured."

"_Charmeleon…"_ Ridley stood motionless as his Pokemon was still, his face painted in concern and shock. Drops of sweat slid down his head. _"What kind of attack was that…? How the hell could something like that do so much damage."_ From above, Rui was taken aback by the attack. Wes, too, was also surprised and couldn't help but feel for the trainer and his Pokemon. However, after a moment, Charmeleon began to move. Ridley stood and watched as the Pokemon was trying desperately to pick itself up. "Charmeleon… You still wanna go…?" Though he felt pain all over his body, the flame Pokemon returned to its feet (albeit with some difficulty) and nodded to his trainer. Suddenly, its body was covered in red glow. "That skill… Alright, let's kick some ass."

"That ability…" Wes began. "It's Blaze."

"Blaze? What's that?" asked Rui.

"A special ability for Pokemon like Charmeleon. When its health is at low levels Charmeleon's fire-type attacks will become stronger than they were before."

"Charmeleon be blazin' up in this bitch! Literally!" Ridley replied. "And with the sun still shining, there's a chance we might win this. Are you ready?" Charmeleon responded with a nod and growled.

"So you still have some life left and are gonna use it to keep fighting," Kawagata said. "So be it. Crawdaunt, final attack: Shadow End!" With the last of its strength, Crawdaunt charged with its devastating tackle.

"Charmeleon, burn it down with your strongest Flamethrower!" Gathering fire in its mouth, the fire-type Pokemon launched a searing-hot stream of fire aimed directly at the water-type. At first, Crawdaunt was stopped in its tracks by the attack. However, between the heat and the strength of Charmeleon's attack, the shellfish was thrown back by the strike. Once the attack was over, everyone was tension filled their air. Wes, Rui, and Ridley was silent as they waited for Crawdaunt's response. After a few seconds, the Shadow Pokemon dropped to the ground. Covered in burns, its body was still smoking over the attack. "Oh yeah! We won! Way to go, C!"

Kawagata stood silently in disbelief after he returned his Crawdaunt. "Impossible…" he said. "I had power… You should not have won…"

"Like I told you," Ridley began. "I have skill and my boys on my side."

"Ridley!" a voice nearby called. The young trainer turned and saw Rui running to him. Accompanying her was Wes.

"Rui. Nice to see you here," Ridley said. He then faced the taller trainer. "Hey, the guy I bumped into before. You're Wes? 'Sup."

"Um… Yeah," Wes replied.

"Do not ignore me!" shouted Kawagata. "This turn of events… It's inconceivable. I had the better Pokemon! I should have won!"

"Yo, just face it," Ridley began. "You relied to much on your firepower. That's why you went down. Now get over it, get out my face and leave me alone."

"You think you're really something. But soon, I'll be the victor and that precious Charmeleon of yours will belong to a new owner." Kawagata then turned his focus to Wes. The teen clad in a blue trenchcoat glared at the Rocket. As Kawagata studied the individual, he saw the machine that was covering his arm. After a few seconds, he then realized what it might be. "You," he said as he pointed to Wes. "What's your name?"

"What's it to you?"

"Just… curiosity. A great thief always wish to know the name of their target."

With a narrowed glare, the ex-Snaggem member replied, "Wes."

"Wes, you say? Well then Wes, I look forward to plundering from you as well."

"You wish. Now tell me how you got that Shadow Pokemon!"

"_Shadow Pokemon?"_ Ridley thought.

"You know about the Shadow Pokemon?" Kawagata replied. "Interesting… Seems today was not a total loss. I just found another target."

"What did you say!?" Wes replied. Pulling a few smoke pellets from his pockets, the Team Rocket member threw them on the sand in front of him. Wes and Ridley tried to capture him, but as the smoke cleared, the enemy was gone without a trace.

"Bastard…" Ridley hissed.

"We should get to the Pokemon Center." Both Rui and Ridley gave a nod of agreement and the trio hurried to the Pokemon Center as quickly as possible.

* * *

Upon arrival, Ridley handed his Pokeballs to Nurse Joy. Croconaw was the only one that needed to be put on the machine and was given back to its trainer in a few short minutes. Grovyle and Charmeleon, on the other hand, were being patched up. Ridley sat in a chair in the lobby, waiting patiently.

"So what did she say about your Pokemon," Rui asked as she took a seat next to the dark-skinned teen. "Will they be alright?"

"Nurse Joy said Croconaw's doing fine right now. Grovyle and Charmeleon…" Ridley sighed. "Grovyle's arm is hurt pretty bad. And Charmeleon needs to stay the night due to all the damage it took."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Rui said sympathetically as she turned her gaze to the floor. "I'm hope they're alright." The room was filled with silence for a few moments. "Um… Ridley?"

"Yo."

"You don't mind if we stay here with you?"

Ridley turned to the pony-tailed girl, looking at her with a somewhat confused glance. "It's cool."

"Is that okay with you, Wes?"

Wes stood against the wall next to the doors, watching the starlit night sky. The trainer only shrugged. "Fine. Besides, it's too late to go anywhere now." Pushing himself off the wall, Wes joined the two, sitting in a chair next to Rui.

"Yo, Wes," Ridley began. "Earlier, you called Kawagata's Crawdaunt a Shadow Pokemon. What is that?"

"Basically, it's a Pokemon who's heart is shut. With no emotions, it's a fighting machine. Thing is, they go into uncontrollable rages, injuring themselves, other Pokemon, and even their own trainers."

"And how do you know about all of this stuff?"

"Because Wes and I were the ones who who stop Cipher from making more Shadow Pokemon," Rui said. "At least, that what we thought."

"Apparently, Cipher must have made and distributed more Shadow Pokemon than we thought," Wes said. "There's no telling whether Kawagata's Pokemon was just overlooked or if there are more around."

"_Wow… Guess I should've gone to Orre earlier,"_ Ridley thought. _"Course, if there are more Shadow Pokes running around, we're all gonna be screwed."_ "Well, if what went down in Orre is really gonna happen here, then I might as well tag along."

"Ridley…?" Rui replied.

"This isn't a game, Ridley," Wes replied. "Why should we let you come?"

"Believe me, I'm usually a solo cat myself. But if you haven't noticed, the both of us have the same thing on our mind: Getting to the top of the ladder in the League and stopping those Shadow Pokes, you feel me?"

"You're telling us something we already know," Wes said. "Look, we can handle this ourselves. The last thing I need is to get someone involved."

"Man, you say you heard, but you still ain't got the message," Ridley replied as he stood out of his chair and met the fellow trainer eye-to-eye. "As far as being involved goes, it's too late. My Pokes are in beds because of what Kawagata did, who, if you forgot, is gunning for the both of us. If there are more of those Shadows out there, I want to make stop them before it happens to someone else."

"I think it's a good idea," Rui said. Both Wes and Ridley turned to her. "I mean, you did see how strong Ridley was against Kawagata's Pokemon. And I'm sure he knows more about the region way more than we do."

"Well, I'm not one to brag…" Ridley said as he scratched the back of his head. "But I do have a little book about all the spots here in the big 'S.'"

"See? We have a better chance of stopping these Shadow Pokemon together."

Wes turned away, thinking about the decision on hand. _"I don't want to put anyone else in danger. But Rui does have a point. Ridley's the only one that has some knowledge of this region and he is pretty strong… I guess for now, my options are limited."_ "Fine, he can come."

"Great!" Rui said happily. "Welcome to the team!"

"Thanks," Ridley said with a smile.

"Just don't do anything foolish," Wes said with indifference as he walked down the hall to a nearby vending machine.

Ridley stood quietly with his arms folded as he watched the Orre trainer getting something from a nearby vending machine. "Damn, talk about Mr. Personality," he said in a low tone.

"Please don't worry about it," Rui said. "Wes is always like that. You just need to get use to it."

"Aight. I guess that's cool." With that said, Ridley walked down another hall to check on his Pokemon.

Now left behind in the lobby, Rui only sat in the chair behind her and sighed. "Something tells me this is gonna be a long journey," she said to herself.

* * *

The next day, Ridley stood at the front desk waiting for Nurse Joy. Standing behind him were Wes and Rui, who awaited for the diagnosis. After a few minutes, the nurse returned with a tray holding the trainer's Pokeballs. "Your Charmeleon and Grovyle are doing better now," she said with a smile. "But I advise that you should take it easy for a while."

"I guess you're right," Ridley said as he picked up the balls and placed them on his belt. "Thank you," he said with a bow before leaving the Pokemon Center with his traveling companions. After they left the building, Ridley inhaled the morning air. The sun was shining and small bird Pokemon flew overhead. "Take it in, my peeps," Ridley said with a smile. "These will be our first step in a new land."

"Ridley, we're already in a new land," Rui said.

"I mean a where the real action is," Ridley corrected.

"Of course you do," Wes said as he shook his head as he continued north to Route 202.

"Wes! Wait for us!" Rui replied as she hurried after him with Ridley in pursuit.


	2. Episode 2: The Scrappy

(Filler) Episode 2: The Scrappy

Route 202, a wooded area located between Sandgem Town and Jubilife City. A peaceful expanse of forest known for its abundance of Pokemon, it is here where most young trainers start their journeys and capture their first wild Pokemon. "Espeon! Psybeam!" Wes replied as he battled a trainer's Bidoof in a grassy clearing. As ordered, the lavender cat-like Pokemon unleashed a rainbow-colored beam at the young trainer's beaver. Upon the hit, the enemy Bidoof fainted and the ex-Snaggem trainer was the victor of the battle.

"Wow. Here I thought you were just some weird-looking big person," replied the young trainer. "Guess you really are stronger than you look."

Wes couldn't help but to smile, masking the urge to drive in the lesson of how appearances being deceiving. Ridley and Rui (who were sitting on the sidelines during the match) noticed his bottled up frustration. "Looks like he's heard that more than once," Ridley whispered to the pig-tailed girl.

"Well…" Rui said as she scratched the back of her head. "Let's just say he's more use to hearing that now than he was before."

"Anyway, good battle. But the next time you see me, I'll be the strongest trainer in the region." With that said, the young kid darted into the grass to capture and train.

Standing from their spots, Ridley and Rui rejoined their comrade. "You were pretty good out there Wes," Rui congratulated.

"Not bad, man," Ridley said.

"That was only a beginning trainer," Wes said nonchalantly. "He wasn't much of a challenge." Wes continued on his way through the woods with his comrades not too far behind. There was no point in staying here. The trainers on this route were rookies from neighboring areas who just started training. This could only mean one thing: there would be no real competition here. "Ridley, where's the first gym supposed to be?" Wes asked.

"Let's see…" Grabbing a book from his back pant pocket titled "The Official Sinnoh Region Guide" (which was written by Professor Rowan), the black trainer flipped through the pages for the information Wes sought. It didn't take him long to find the answer. "It says that there's a gym in Oreburgh City."

"How close are we from there?" Rui asked.

"I think you should be asking how _far_ it's from us," Ridley responded as he returned the book to his pocket.

"What are you talking about?" Wes asked. "Shouldn't it be in the next town?"

"You'd think that, but it's not. It's west of Jubilife City, the next stop."

"So we need to get to Jubilife before getting to Oreburgh…" Wes said with his arms folded. Suddenly, the trio were stopped in their tracks by a loud squeal. Looking around, the trio were looked around cautiously.

"What was that?" Rui asked.

"That yell was louder than that time this kid got stung by a Beedrill in the ass after my friend poured honey in his pants after he woke up at that guy's house a banana in his mouth."

Wes and Rui only starred at Ridley for a few seconds, speechless from his comment. "What the hell does that have to do with anything!?" Wes shouted.

"It's called a comparison!" Ridley defended. "Look it up!" The two's bickering was cut short by the sharp noise again. This time, it was closer than before. Rui turned around and saw a small figure approaching them. It was a small Pokemon that looked like a kitten with a high tuff of hair on its head. The front half of its body blue and its back half was black. On the tip of its long tail was a gold star with four points. Following behind the creature in hot pursuit was a bizarre bird. It had three large heads armed with long sharp beaks connected by long snake-like necks from a round, wingless body. It raced after the other Pokemon on thin, yet powerful legs tipped with four toed claws (three on the front and the fourth in the back). The two Pokemon dashed past the group, leaving a trail of smoke in their wake and stunned glances.

"That was sudden..." Rui said.

"That bird Pokemon was a Dodrio, wasn't?" Wes said. "What was it chasing?"

"I think that was a Shinx," Ridley answered. "The book said their part of the Electric-type group. But why would three-headed Tweety go after something like that."

"Who knows?" Wes said. "Either it was territory or for food."

"Let's check it out." With a nod, the three followed the direction the two Pokemon left in. They soon found themselves at the edge of a clearing and found the two Pokemon sizing each other up. "I heard that Dodrio usually eat fruit," Ridley whispered. "But apparently, they're not strictly vegetarian." Rui nodded while Wes focused on the two Pokemon.

The fight began as Dodrio attacked Shinx using Fury Attack, its heads pecking at the smaller Pokemon furiously. Shinx tried evading some of the strikes, but many of the blows still landed hits on the diminutive beast. However, Shinx continued defending itself by using Bite. The Pokemon's small jaws latched onto the slender leg of Dodrio. Squawking in pain, the flightless bird began shaking its leg violently. Unable to hold on, Shinx released its grip and was tossed a couple of feet after the last jerk. Dodrio began to approached Shinx, evil intentions on its three minds. Shinx, though injured from the last attacks, returned to its feet and glared at the foe. Dodrio's middle head lunged straight at the enemy, its beak ready to cause serious damage. Before the hit connected, Shinx tackled the enemy's head, its body covered in electricity. Dodrio staggered back from the attack, trying to shake off the current. "That Shinx just used Spark," Wes said, somewhat impressed by the small Pokemon's tenacity.

"The cat has balls," added Ridley. Dodrio quickly recovered from the electric-type's tackle. In retaliation, the bird used Quick Attack, slamming its body at blinding speed as it left a white trail behind. On impact, Shinx screamed in pain as it was flown back once more, bouncing off the ground a couple of times before finally stopping. Shinx tried picking itself up, but was pinned by Dodrio's clawed feet. Taking aim, all three heads pulled back, ready to end the fight.

With a Pokeball in his hand, Wes hurried forward. Noticing this, the three heads of Dodrio turned their attention to the Orre trainer before quickly getting ready to attack. "Umbreon! Use your Confuse Ray!" released from Wes' Pokeball was a black fox-like Pokemon with yellow rings on its legs and forehead and bands of said color on its ears and tail. On order, the moonlight Pokemon unleashed a dark ray from its eyes that hit Dodrio. The enemy Pokemon wasn't hurt, but heavily confused. It tried attacking, but all three heads were attacking themselves instead. "Now use Faint Attack!" Umbreon approached the Dodrio, who stopped arguing with itself and turned to its attention to the dark-type. With its front paw, Umbreon pointed to the left, as if to show the enemy something. As soon as all three heads turned to the given direction, Umbreon slammed its body into the enemy. Dodrio slid back a few feet from the enemy. "Finish it with Quick Attack!" Before the enemy could react, Umbreon finished Dodrio off with a high-speed tackle. As soon as they collided, Dodrio was flown into a nearby patch of tall grass, a low squawk upon landing signalling its defeat.

With the battle over, Wes hurried to the injured Shinx. Gently, the trainer held the creature in its arms. "Will it be okay?" Rui asked.

In less than a moment, Shinx began coughing and opened its eyes. Looking up, the Pokemon saw the faces of Wes and his Umbreon, Rui, and Ridley. "It's all good, little G," Ridley said. "You're safe."

Wes smiled. "You really are brave one," he said before turning to Ridley. "Is there something in the pack?"

"I'm on it!" Quickly Ridley hurried to the backpack not far behind where they were. Digging into one of the pockets, Ridley pulled out a small, square-shaped injection gun.

He tossed it to Wes, who caught it with his left hand. "This may sting, but bare with me," Wes said to the Shinx in a soothing voice. With the nozzle against the small Pokemon's wound, the trainer pressed the back of the container. Shinx winced in pain as the medicine was applied, sterilizing the wound as well as restoring its strength. Wes placed Shinx back on the ground as the medicine was taking effect. In momments, the Pokemon returned to its feet and gave a thankful bark.

"Looks like it's doing okay now!" Rui said.

"I don't get it," Ridley said with his arms folded. Wes turned to the dark-skinned trainer. "Why'd you want to help the little guy? I thought you were one of those 'ain't my business, I'm out' kinda Gs."

Wes turned back to the Shinx as he started to think of a reason. "I guess it's because the two of us have something in common."

Ridley glanced at both the trainer and the Pokemon. The black and blue color scheme and their golden eyes made them almost mirror images of one another. "No kiddin'," he said. "It's like I'm looking at close cousins. You related anyhow?"

"That's not what I meant!" replied Wes. "It reminds me of myself when I was younger. A loner in a large world who wouldn't back down for anyone."

"Wes..." Rui said. Wes smirked as he thought about it. This Shinx was one of the toughest Pokemon he had seen. "Shinx," Wes called. The little Pokemon turned its attention to him. "You are a pretty tough Pokemon. If you choose to join me, the two of us will become strong together." The cat-like beast cocked its head sideways. "Do you accept? It would be an honor to have you on the team." Silence blaneted the clearing. Ridley and Rui awaited the decision. After a few minutes, Shinx smiled and affectionately rubbed its body against Wes' leg. "I guess that's a yes," he said with a smirk.With Pokeball in hand, Wes tossed the red and white orb in the air. Seeing the sphere, Shinx leapt into the air, pressing the button on the front which instantly sucked it inside. The Pokeball landed on the ground, its center glowing red a couple of times before it made a locking sound. Wes picked up the ball and gave a light nod. "Thank you."

"Looks like you caught Shinx, homes," Ridley said.

"Congratulations, Wes," Rui said. "This is your first Pokemon in Sinnoh."

Wes placed Shinx's Pokeball on his belt and stretched. "Okay, now it's time to get to Jubilife."

"Right," Ridley said with a nod. Traveling northward, the trio made their way to Jubilife City, continuing on with their adventure once more.


	3. Episode 3: Awkward Justice

Episode 3: Awkward Justice

Leaving Route 202 behind, the trio finally arrived at the massive city of Jubilife. The forest trees of the wilderness were replaced by tall buildings of civilization. For Wes, this was the first time he's actually seen a place such as this. In Orre, there were no sprawling cities. One may say there were merely small towns and settlements in an unforgiving frontier akin to the Old West. There also weren't buildings that cut the skyline (the only exception being Realgam Tower, which was located at the center or the region). Indeed this region was a full reversal of the land he's lived in. "Ladies, gentlemen, gaze your eyes on Jubilife City," Ridley said with his arms folded. "The biggest town in all of Sinnoh."

"Wow!" Rui said with a smile. "It's been so long since I've been in the city. I nearly forgot what it was like."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"It doesn't matter," Wes said. "Let's just get out of here and get to Oreburgh."

"Oh come on, Wes!" Ridley replied. "We can get to Oreburgh anytime we want. I wanna check out the sights."

"We don't have the time for sight-seeing."

"What do you mean no time? We have nothing but time, G!"

"How about we get to the Pokemon Center?" Rui suggested as she placed herself between the two trainers. "It's been a long walk. Let's heal our Pokemon and then talk about what to do next." Putting their argument aside, both trainers took the pig-tailed girl's advice and they headed for the center. With their Pokemon being healed, the three took their seats not far from the counter.

"I say we hit this city," Ridley said. "Jubilife is the home of Poketch Company, the guys in charge of Poketches."

"What's a Poketch?" Rui asked.

"It's like a watch, calculator, and Pokemon management system in one. Big gadget here in Sinnoh."

"Why should I care?" Wes asked. "I already have a PDA and it has everything I need."

"Oh great. A simple man," Ridley said as he looked at Wes from the corner of his eye. "It's all good. Still, I say we should stay here for a while. You know? To get a bite to eat and tour around. I hear this place is well known for its... flowers," Ridley said with a sly tone, a slick grin decorating his face.

"Right. So in other words, you want to waste time and try to hit on any single woman you can find."

"Why you gotta be a busta, man!?"

"But Ridley does have a point," Rui said.

"What do you mean, Rui?" Wes said as he faced his female cohort.

"Well it's been a whole day since we last ate. And I would like to see some of this city."

"See?" Ridley said to Wes triumphantly. "Majority rules, son. Two beats out one."

Wes only sighed in defeat. "Fine, but we'll only here for three hours. Then we leave for Oreburgh. Clear?"

"Yeah, sure," Ridley replied impassively, earning a glare from Wes.

With their Pokemon returned to their possession, the gang left the Center and started their trek around the city. As they left, they didn't notice a certain Rocket member who was watching them from a couple yards away, a book shielding his face as he sat casually at a nearby table.

The trio wandered around the large city, reaping its rewards. They ate at a popular restaurant (where Wes and Ridley fought about who would cover the tab. Separately, both trainers managed to acquire a good number of Pokedollars on their past journeys. In the end, though, it was Rui who would pay the bill). They also fought a few local trainers in the park (giving their Pokemon a little exercise in the process). After a couple hours of fun and entertainment, the group sat on one of the park's benches, drinking from soda cans that Ridley bought from a nearby vending machine. "I have to say, you two were fantastic," Rui said with a smile.

"Thanks," Wes said.

"Yeah, well you know," Ridley said humbly. "I didn't get the title 'Original Gangsta Tactical General' for a reason."

"Do you listen to what you say when you talk?" Wes asked as he shook his head. Ridley glared daggers at the Orre native, though the fellow trainer merely shrugged it off. Rui couldn't help but chuckle at their behavior. They were travelling together and had the same goals. Yet both trainers would still argue over the smallest things. Guess it was the result of male egos and conflicting personalities. "Anyway, we've been here long enough," he said. "It's time to leave this place behind and head to Oreburgh."

Rui sighed. "I guess we should," she said.

"Fine Dr. Killjoy." Ridley said cynically. "Let's get moving before he starts having a tantrum."

Just as the they were about to leave, the group was stopped by a call for help. "Hey, you three!" shouted the caller. "Wait!" Rushing toward them was a man in a dark blue dress suit. His hair was brown and receding.

"What's wrong?" Rui asked with concern. "Are you okay?"

The man panted heavily, trying to catch his breath as he bent over. A moment passed before he stood back up. "You two... you're strong trainers, aren't you? Please, I need your help."

"Look, we spent enough time here as is," said Wes. "We have things to do."

"It's not for me," the man said. "It's for my son." The three were surprised by what the man said.

"Talk to us, man," Ridley said. "What's this about your kid?"

"You see... A couple of trainers appeared near the Trainer's School, where my son attends... They have him for ransom and will not stop until they get what they want?"

"And that would be?"

"They didn't say. All I know is that if they're not stopped... my son..." The man stopped in mid-sentence, trying not to think about the possibility of his child's fate. All he could do is clench his fists and grit his teeth. "I just need your help."

Wes turned his head to the side, eyeing the concerned parent. Though he was in a rush, leaving a kid as a hostage when their parent pleads for help would just be wrong. He turned around and took a couple of steps forward. "Where is the school," he said. The man turned to the Orre native, who stood and waited for his reply.

Quickly, he answered, "It's at the south of town not far from the Pokemon Center."

"Alright. We'll save your kid." With his mission in mind, Wes hurried to the destination. Ridley and Rui followed not far behind.

"So, home boy," Ridley began. "I thought you wanted to jet? What gives?"

"For one, he said that the trainers at that school were using strange Pokemon. There's a chance they might be Shadows. Secondly, anyone who uses a child for ransom are cowardly and weak. I won't stand by idly while something like this happens."

"Wes is right. These guys have to be stopped," Rui said in agreement.

"Aight," Ridley said. "Then let's mess up some chumps."

* * *

Inside the Trainer's School, two rogue trainers (both with rather muscular builds) were holding the students hostage. One of the teachers battled the foes earlier, but lost. Now she, and the other individuals were in the back. In their custody was a small boy at least ten years old with dark green hair wearing a blue button-up shirt and black shorts. "Heh heh…" chuckled one of the men who wore a green and white t-shirt. "This was too easy."

"You're right," agreed the other man wearing a dark blue shirt. "I thought we'd have it pretty tough trying to grab a kid in the middle of the day. This is like taking candy from a baby."

"And with that Pokemon that guy gave us, we're unstoppable."

"I will not let you get away," said the teacher as he began started to stand back up. "Not with one of my students."

"Well would you look at that, Jim," said the man in blue. "After getting creamed, he still thinks he can stop us."

"Look, we only came for the kid, teach," the other man said. "Stan and I already beat your Pokemon down. If you don't step back, then something might happen to you and this brat." Jim smiled as he lifted the young boy off the ground by the back of his shirt.

"Hey! Let go of me!" the kid shouted as he tried to struggle out of the man's grip.

"Landis…" the teacher said. He knew there was nothing he can do. He Pokemon were out of commission. As for hand-to-hand combat, he'd be outclassed and brutally beaten down to a pulp. He had no choice but to back away.

"Hahahahaha!" laughed Stan. "That's what I thought. Better stick to the books and your remaining students, Professor," he said in an insulting tongue. "We'll be going now with the brat."

"That's what you think!" a voice from the entrance said. The two men turned and saw Wes, Ridley, and Rui. "Now let the kid go!" Wes ordered.

"Well look what the Meowth dragged in," Jim said. "We got us a few snoops."

"What!?" Ridley replied. "Who you callin' a snoop?"

"Hold on!" Stan replied. "Those are the ones that one guy told us about."

"You mean the one from what's it called…? Team Rocket?" Jim asked.

"That's right. All we need to do is to grab these losers' Pokemon, then we'll be getting one giant of a bonus."

"You mean you two are working for Kawagata?" asked Wes.

"You guys are friggin' tools, man!" Ridley replied.

"Is that so?" Jim said as he held a pokeball in his hand. After you're knocked flat on your face, we'll see who's a tool! Go, Sudowoodo!" Upon throwing his orb, it opened in midair and released a creature that looked like a slender, small-legged tree with a forked "branch" on its head and long arms with three green balls at the ends of its fingers.

"Go, Swellow!" Released from Stan's pokeball was a large red and blue bird with two tail feathers and a crest of feathers that swept back on its head. The avian hovered in midair, squawking as it awaited to start of battle.

"Prepare yourselves!" Wes shouted. "Shinx, let's go!" The Orre trainer tossed his pokeball forward, unleashing the electric kitten. Upon release, Shinx squealed with anticipation.

"Yo, I got your back! Grovyle, show 'em how we take care of business!" As soon as it was released, Grovyle entered a battle pose, ready to fight the enemy.

"Sudowoodo, use Low Kick on the little pussycat!" ordered Jim. The enemy charged toward two Pokemon. Readying its foot for a powerful strike, Sudowoodo was ready to attack.

"You think that'll stop us?" Wes replied.

"You wish," Ridley added. "Grovyle, slash that wannabe tree with Leaf Blade!" On command, Grovyle intercepted the immitation Pokemon with a powerful strike from its arm leaves. Sudowoodo was knocked back from the attack.

"Swellow, use Wing Attack!" With its wings glowing brightly, Swellow flew towards the Grass-type Pokemon.

Unable to react, the tree gecko was hit by the enemy's wings, throwing it back a few feet away. "Grovyle!" its trainer shouted.

"Shinx, use Spark on Swellow!" As instructed, the small beast charged forward at the bird. With its body covered in electric current, Shinx threw its body at the enemy Pokemon, shocking the foe in the back in the process. Swellow was knocked to the ground by the attack, but quickly returned to its four-toed feet, squawking in anger.

"That jolt won't save you!" Stan replied. "Now Swellow, use Peck!" The bird began hopping toward the smaller Pokemon.

At the same time, Sudowoodo returned to its feet. "Sudowoodo!" Jim called out to his Pokemon. "Help Swellow by using Faint Attack!" With its orders issued, the tree-like Pokemon hurried to Swellow's aid.

Now both Pokemon were towering over Shinx, ready to use their attacks in hopes of defeating the target. Even so, Shinx held its ground, baring its teeth to it's opponents. However, Wes only smiled as he thought, _"They fell for it."_

"Yo, Grovyle!" Ridley called. "Pop these fools wit' a Bullet Seed!" Firing from the side, Grovyle unleashed a storm of plant matter which pelted the enemy Pokemon without mercy. Sudowoodo fell to the ground, KO'd by the super-effective move while Swellow hurried out of the attack's path by trying to take to the air.

Seeing their chance to finish the foe, Wes called out, "Shinx! Counterattack with Bite!" Quickly, Shinx sunk its teeth into Swellow's wing, which grounded the bird and caused it to screech in pain. Still in its mouth, the small cat then tossed it to where its comrade laid. The match was over with both the enemy's Pokemon down for the count.

"No way!" Jim replied in total shock of his fallen Pokemon.

"My Swellow!" Stan shouted. "But your Grovyle couldn't battle!"

"You underestimated me, son!" replied Ridley. "Wes and I knew you'd toss ol' G out the way and go after Shinx. Ain't that right?"

The ex-Snaggem member gave a nod. "When you sent both of your Pokemon after Shinx, you placed yourselves in our trap. After Grovyle's Bullet Seed injured both of your Pokemon, Shinx was able to finish your team with little difficulty."

"_Amazing…"_ the teacher thought as he and his students watched in amazement. _"They managed to stay a step ahead. I had never seen a double battle where two trainers actually planned ahead as they fought."_

"Pfft," Jim scoffed as he and his comrade recalled their fainted Pokemon. "Lucky break. But your luck's about to run out. Go Kirlia!" Released from Jim's Pokeball was a small Pokemon that had the shape of a small ballet dancer. Its body was green and white with large red eyes.

"Kricketune, let's go!" From Stan's pokeball was a large red cricket with mustache like feelers at the tip of its mouth. The bug was armed with a long claw on each limb.

After examining the new Pokemon on the field, Rui's body tensed instantly. Her eyes were fixed on Kirlia as a dark aura seen only by her engulfed the psychic type. "Wes," she called. "That Kirlia's a Shadow Pokemon."

"Really?" Wes said. Rui responded to her comrade with a nod. "Alright, we'll handle it. Ridley…"

"I heard you," Ridley said. Both combatants returned their Pokemon to their pokeballs in unison. Then they sent out their Umbreon and Charmeleon. Both the fire-type and dark-type creatures eyed the competition down, ready to do battle. "We got the advantage, yo!"

Upon seeing Ridley's Charmeleon, Stan cracked a smile as he tapped Jim's arm. "Hey Stan," said the enemy. "Do you see what I see?"

"Hell yes," Jim smirked. "With that gold firefly and the kid, we'll be making a killing. Now Kirlia, Confusion!" On command, Kirlia's two head crests began to glow light blue. As it did, Charmeleon's body was wrapped in said color's glow and was floating in the air immobilized.

"Umbreon! Save Charmeleon with Faint Attack!" Sprinting toward the psychic-type dancer, Umbreon was ready to attack. Unfortunately, Kricketune slowly hovered in its path as it fluttered its wings to stay airborne.

"Now who has the advantage!" replied Stan. "Kricketune, use Fury Cutter!" Quickly, the insect attacked the black fox with its long claw. Umbreon was struck by the blow and slid back. Just as it recovered, the body of a certain fire-type crashed to the ground hard from a Confusion.

Both trainers of the wounded Pokemon greeted their teeth. _"That Confusion was pretty strong,"_ Ridley thought. _"Better come up with a plan fast else a major headache 'll be the least of Charmeleon's worries."_

"_Kricketune's attack was super-effective,"_ Wes thought. _"It's a good thing that was only the first-time attack and that Umbreon doesn't go down so easily."_ Both Pokemon quickly returned to their feet, ready to try again. "Okay Umbreon. Hit Kricketune with Confuse Ray!" With the gold rings on its body turning a bright yellow, the eevee-lution fired a pink beam from its eyes like a laser. The stream managed to hit Kricketune and the enemy was having problems focusing.

"Now to make it harder for you chumps!" Ridley replied. "Charmeleon! Smokescreen!" As ordered, the fire-type shiny expelled a cloud of smoke on the opponent's side of the field. Both Kirlia and Kricketune were looking in all directions for their opponent.

"This smoke, man!" Stan replied. "It's so thick! I can't see!"

"Kirlia, use Magical Leaf!" Jim commanded the psychic. The enemy Pokemon's fired a barrage of leaves at the targets. The attack, strong as it may be, missed as both Umbreon and Charmeleon used the smoke as cover.

"Ha!" Ridley gloated. "Can't hit what you can't see!"

"Umbreon, strike now with Bite!" Wes replied. With its fangs bared, the dark-type latched on to Kirlia by the arm before spinning it in its jaws. It then released the ballerina-like foe and it flew to Kricketune's direction. Before it can react, its partners body had already collided with it's own.

"Gyuuuuh!" Jim replied as he stepped back in shock. "Kirlia!"

"Kricketune, get Kirlia off and use Fury Cutter!" Stan shouted. The bug-type Pokemon threw it's smaller ally off and rushed to Umbreon. Umbreon braced itself for the attack. However, instead of striking the moonlight Pokemon, the confused creature passed the target and found itself in a nearby corner, attacking only empty air before accidentally slashing itself with its claw.

Umbreon and even Wes couldn't believe what they saw. "That's the saddest thing I've seem in a while," Wes said as a sweatdrop hung from the side of both his and his Pokemon's heads.

"This is so embarrassing…" Stan replied as he covered his eyes and shook his head.

"Looks like your bug be buggin' out," Ridley said. "How about a Flamethrower to make it all better?" Jumping from the black shroud, Charmeleon fired a powerful stream of flame at the enemy insect, engulfing the creature. Once the attack was over, Kricketune stood like an ash-covered statue before falling on its back and rocking back and forth.

"Kricketune, return!" Stan said reluctantly as his fainted Pokemon with transferred back to its Pokeball. "You better use that move on 'em, Jim."

"I know what you mean," Jim said.

"Tight!" Ridley replied. "Now we're down to the last Poke."

"Be careful," Wes warned. "This isn't just any Kirlia, remember? Stay alert."

"I know. I know," Ridley replied. "Charmeleon, time to go Captain Falcon on this fool with Fire Punch!" The fire-type charged at Kirlia. With its right hand wrapped in flames, Charmeleon was ready to strike the foe with a burning blow.

"Like that's gonna happen!" Jim said. "Kirlia, use Shadow Blitz now!" With its aura becoming visible, Kirlia attacked Charmeleon with a strong tackle. Though it seemed like a light, Charmeleon was still pushed back by the attack which managed to interrupt it's own.

"Umbreon, another Confuse Ray!" Quickly, Umbreon fired its ray at the Kirlia. Like its partner before it, it was also confused as it had trouble keeping on its toes (literally).

"Jim, your Kirlia…" Stan replied.

"Grrr… Kirlia! Shadow Blitz on Umbreon!" Countering the move, Kirlia ran toward the dark-type with the telltale aura surrounding it's body.

However, before the attack hit, Charmeleon intercepted the foe. "Charmeleon! Use Fire Punch!" Ridley replied. With its fist blanketed in fire once more, the shiny struck the enemy right under the jaw. Kirlia sailed a few feet from the attack before it landed hard on the floor.

"Good job, Ridley!" Rui congratulated. "Wes, Kirlia's weak!"

"I got it!" With his snag machine-adorned hand, Wes grabbed an empty Pokeball from his belt. At that moment, the machine began to activate and the ball started to glow in the wearer's palm as it was being converted into a snag ball.

"What the-?" Ridley said with a cock-eyed glance.

"Snag ball! Go!" Wes hurled the sphere at Kirlia almost as if he were catching a normal wild Pokemon. Once the ball bounced off its head, Kirlia was vacuumed inside before it closed and dropped to the surface. The ball started to rattle as the light began blinking. After a few seconds, the ball's glow ceased and its rattling stopped. Jim's Kirlia was now captured. "Heh, it's over," Wes said with a smile.

"Oh no!" Jim replied. "My Kirlia!"

"Are my eyes deceiving me?" the teacher said as he and his students sat silently. They weren't the only ones who were confused. Ridley was also skeptical at what just transpired. After all, he was traveling with someone who had snagged another trainer's Pokemon. Of course, from where he's standing, the owner deserved it.

"You better give us back Kirlia, brat!" Stan hissed.

"You're joking?" Wes replied. "I won't give it back to you so you can use it to put everyone in danger again. I swear, I will restore it and all the other Shadow Pokemon out there!"

"Damn you!" Jim shouted as he and Stan charged toward Wes. Both he and Ridley were prepared to defend themselves. That was before the class door slammed open yet again.

"Freeze!" a woman ordered. Wes, Rui, and Ridley turned and saw a woman clad in a blue police uniform and hat with very short shorts. Her gun was drawn and a tiger-stripped dog known as a Growlithe was at her side. "Put your hands up where I can see them!" All five people placed there hands over their heads in a sign of surrender.

"Wait, Officer Jenny," the school teacher replied. "The only ones who are guilty are the two big men. The young men and lady were the ones who stopped them from taking Landis."

"Is this true?" Officer Jenny asked.

"It is, ma'am," Landis answered. "Those two were trying hold me for ransom and then steal their Pokemon."

"Hey, it's not like that…" Stan said with a smile.

"Yeah, Officer. It's all a big misunderstanding," Jim said.

"You two are under arrest for attempting kidnapping and attempted Pokemon larceny!" Officer Jenny said as she handcuffed both criminals. Growlithe stood in front of the goons to keep them from escaping.

"Aw, come on!" shouted Stan.

"Damn it!" Jim yelled. He then turned to Wes and Ridley and replied, "You two are gonna get it, you hear? The next we see you, we'll get our revenge!"

"Just try it. And when you do, we'll pimp-smack you losers so hard, yo' momma, yo' aunt, and yo' grandma will feel the sting!" Ridley replied.

With their wrists cuffed, Jenny pushed the trainers out of the room. "Thanks, you two," the officer said. "You managed to save the day. If it weren't for you, who knows what would have happened."

"It was nothing, ma'am," Wes said. "We just didn't want to see them get away with such a despicable act."

"Fo' real," Ridley said. "Them fools were nothing but punks that needed to get roughed up."

Officer Jenny nodded again. With that said, Jenny left the building with her men in toe. She tossed them in her police car and drove back to the station.

"Way to go, you guys!" Rui said. "We managed to stop them and save Kirlia."

"Thanks," Wes said.

"No sweat," Ridley replied.

"Class, due to the events of today, you all get out early. Your homework will be on status treatment products and their effects on Pokemon." Seeming as if it was a regular school day, the children in the room left, patting their heroes and giving thanks on their way out. "You two really saved us from the worse case scenario. I tried to stop them, but their Pokemon were too strong. If anything happened to the children, I don't know what I would do."

"It's cool," Ridley said. "Like my man said, we just couldn't leave things like they were."

"Still, there's no way I can thank you enough… Wait a minute…" The teacher turned around and went to his desk. Digging in his drawers, the teacher pulled out a light blue stone. "Here, take this," he said. "I'm sure it will be useful to you on your journey."

"What is it?" Rui asked. "I've never seen anything like it."

"It's a Dawn Stone. A rare evolutionary stone found only in Sinnoh."

"Are you sure we can have this?" Wes asked.

"Please take it," the teacher said. "You deserve it."

"Aight. If you insist," Ridley said as he took the rock and placed it in the bag.

"I must say, you two are rather strong for such young trainers. Of course, I never imagined I would see anyone steal a Pokemon to stop a rogue trainer. It's somewhat puzzling."

"Look, we can explain," Wes began.

However, the teacher rose his hand and shook his head. "You don't need to explain. I can see that you three are not the villains and I heard what you said during the battle. Whatever's going on in Sinnoh, I know I can trust that you will be the one's making sure nothing serious happens."

"You got that right, teach!" Ridley said. "That's why we're here."

"Are you sure you want to stay around?" Wes said. "You just saw me steal a trainer's Pokemon. Wouldn't it be safer if you continued on your own?"

"And miss all the fun? Hell no!" Ridley replied. "'Sides, even if I wanted to, I've become an accomplice as soon as you snagged Kirlia. Guess that means I'm in it for the long haul."

"Ridley…" Rui said with a smile.

Ridley smirked. "You can count on it."

"Thank you for the stone," Rui said to the teacher as she bowed her head. "I'm happy we were able to help."

"You're welcome," the teacher responded. "And I wish you good luck on your journey."

The trio left the classroom and headed back north. Lurking behind a bush near the front window was Kawagata. He glared at the group, especially at Wes' Snag Machine. "So he was able to steal Kirlia with that device. It appears that single Snag Machine would pose a grave hassle to our plans." He stepped out of his hiding spot and folded his arms. "I must report back to Team Galaxy headquarters and investigate this matter closely." With his resolve in mind, the Rocket member hurried to the exit.

* * *

At the center of the city, the gang met up with Landis and his father. "I would like to thank you for saving my son," the parent said. "I knew asking you three to help was a good decision."

"It was our pleasure, sir," Rui said.

"You two are so strong!" Landis shouted ecstatically. "You should have seen it dad! Wes and Ridley beat those two guys so bad, they were crying afterwards!"

"Is that so?" Landis' father asked as he affectionately ruffled his son's hair. He then turned to the heroes. "To show you my appreciation, I would like to give you all something."

"Are you sure?" Wes asked.

"Of course. As President of the Poketch Company, I would like to give you these." Digging into his pocket, the President held out his hand. Resting on the palm were three shiny new Poketches in red, blue, and pink.

"Man, these things are so dope," Ridley said as he took the red watch. Rui took the pink watch while Wes was handed the blue. Ridley started pressing the buttons on his Poketch, sifting through the options. "Whoa! It's even got the alarm clock setting!"

"These Poketches are the newest models straight from the assembly line. They have a couple of options most others haven't been installed with yet. It's my way of thanks."

"No prob, Mister Pres," Ridley said.

"Thank you, Mr. President," Rui said.

"I guess we'll be going now," Wes said. He then kneeled down to Landis' level. "You be a good kid. Listen to your dad and stay in school. Alright?"

"You bet, Wes!" Landis replied with a wide smile.

Standing back up, the ex-Snaggem member returned to his feet and walked to the exit. "Come on, you two," he said.

"Right," Rui said as she and Ridley followed Wes. "Good bye!" she called, waving her hand.

"Come back anytime!" Landis called. We might have another option to install in your Poketch!"

"Fo' real?" Ridley said. "Then we'll be back later on! Aight?"

"Take care of yourselves!" Landis' father said. "I wish you a good journey."

"We will!" Ridley replied. Wes only rose his arm and waved his hand. With their day in Jubilife coming to a close, the two were now heading west to Route 203 and the Oreburgh Gate. The first Sinnoh badge was close at hand and neither Wes or Ridley could wait for their upcoming battle.


	4. Episode 4: Born N' Raised

(Filler) Episode 4: Born N' Raised

A few hours passed sense the trio left Jubilife City and entered the woods of Route 203. Hiking through the low vegetation, they were met by the few trainers that encountered and challenged them. Of course, these upstarts were no match for Ridley and Wes' skills. Soon, the sun began to set over and the sky became a nightly blanket of stars. After Wes found some firewood to start a fire and Rui prepared the food, the three released their Pokemon, letting them eat their Pokefood as they set up their sleeping bags around the campfire. "This food is pretty good," Wes to Rui as he took more bites of food.

"Yeah. It's been a while since I had chicken in the outdoors," Ridley said in agreement. "And what's this sauce on the rice."

"Oh that?" Rui asked. "It's some sweet and sour sauce my mom taught me to make."

"I got to say, it's really good," Wes said. "My compliments."

"Thanks, Wes," Rui replied with a smile. She then turned to Ridley, who was gnawing on a chicken bone. "So Ridley, how long have you been a Pokemon trainer?"

"Well, I've been handling Pokes for about three years. I'm from Gringey City. Actually the west side of it. The hood side."

"Gringey City?"

"It's a city in Kanto between Celadon and Fushia. I had to deal with the five-o, hardcore thugs, and a Grimer or two on a daily basis. It was pretty hard, but I always stayed a step ahead. I remember this one time me and my homeboy were surrounded by these punks with crowbars when I was younger. All we had to do was toss garbage from a nearby bin and those chumps were being chased by a swarm of Grimer for the next nine blocks. It was funny as hell."

"Okay. I sort of understand," Rui said, though somewhat confused by the inclusion of the sludge Pokemon.

"Back then, I was just one of three kids helping my mom around the house. My old man was traveling around, sending just enough money for us to get by. He was hella strong, the baddest trainer to wander Kanto. You name a place, Pokemon, or person, he's been there, caught it, and seen them."

"I see…"

"How about your Pokemon?" Wes asked. "How long have you had them?"

"Well, I've had these guys for a while," Ridley answered. "Charmeleon was the first Poke I've ever had. He was a Charmander sent to me by my pops as a gift. Said he found it on an island near Cinnabar. Croconaw was a Totodile when I received him from a Professor back in Johto. For some reason, it kept on biting my backback and latching off it like a fish on a hook. And that just leaves Grovyle. I found him as a Treeko that was about to drop any second in the forest. Turns out, he was attacked by a Scyther. After we patched him up, we found that oversized bug and laid the beatdown."

"Sounds like you four have been through a lot," Rui said.

"You better believe it. But we had each other's backs through thick and thin, ya know? My homies and I can't be stopped." Ridley turned back to his comrades and smirked as they fed. Charmeleon raised his head and responded with a smile of its own and a nod. "So what about you, Wes? How did you meet up with yo' Eons?" Wes only sat quietly, his eyes closed and his body still. "Yo, everything cool?"

"Huh?" Wes replied as he snapped back to reality. "Well, it's a long story," Wes said. "See, when I was a kid, my family lived in the slums of Pyrite Town."

"You mean the place where we first met and fought Miror B.?" Rui asked.

Wes nodded. "My father was a detective for the police department at the time and was a strong trainer. He wasn't home due to his work, which left me alone to help my mom. On my tenth birthday, my dad gave me a couple of Eevees as gifts. Needless to say, we became inseparable ever since. Those were the best days of my life. But soon, things took a completely unexpected turn."

"What do you mean, man?"

"My father…" Wes then lowered his gaze. A gloomy air descended upon the camp. "He was killed in a raid by a gang using strange Pokemon. Soon after, my mom started to grow ill of cancer before she, too, passed away. This all happened when I was eleven. That left me and my Eevees to fend for ourselves on the streets."

"Damn…" Ridley said with sorrow.

"I'm sorry, Wes," Rui said with sympathy. "I didn't know."

"Soon, a man found me and my Pokemon sleeping on a corner. He took us in and raised us like we were his own. That man was Gonzap."

"Gonzap was the one who raised you?" Rui asked with some disbelief in his voice. Wes silently nodded.

"Who's Gonzap?" Ridley asked.

"Gonzap was the leader of Team Snaggem," the pig-tailed girl explained. "That was a group which stole Pokemon from other trainers."

"I get it. It's like Orre's Team Rocket. And that's how you got that machine."

"At first, I did it because of loyalty. After all, I was indebted for all his help. Soon, I ascended up the ranks, becoming a snagger. But that was before Gonzap forged an alliance with the Cipher head. I knew they were planning something with the Pokemon we stole. And as soon as I realized that they were creating Shadows, the same monsters that killed my father… I had to get out. So I took one of Snaggem's Snag Machines, blew up their base, and went on my way. There's was no way I would allow them to turn my Pokemon into those things." A small, guilt-covering smirk formed on his face. "You know, as I look back on all this now, I can't help but see the irony."

"What do you mean, man?" Ridley asked.

"When I was younger, I wanted to be like my old man. Always putting away the bad guys, being a strong trainer. He was my hero and idol. Then I find myself in an organization committing crimes and stealing trainers just to make the big score. I became the very thing my father sought to protect me from."

"But that was a long time ago, Wes," Rui stated. "You helped fight off a dangerous group and you saved Pokemon from people who would use them for evil."

"She's right," Ridley agreed. "From what I'm hearing, you went straight. You can't let stuff that happened in the past mess up your head now."

Wes was silent. He couldn't help but think that if he didn't meet Rui, then he still would have been going down a dark road. Even so, what his two comrades said were correct. Now was not the time to recollect on his past. He gave a nod to his companions. "We should get some rest," the ex-Snaggem said as he laid down on his sleeping bag. Ridley and Rui both exchanged glances before they finished eating their food. After ten minutes, the campsite had become rather quiet. Ridley and Wes had already returned their Pokemon about a few minutes ago. While his two comrades were sound asleep, Wes laid flat on his back with his hands resting on the back of his head as he gazed on the star-ridden heavens. In his mind, he saw the image of his parents' warm smiles. "I hope you're watching mom and dad," he thought. "From now on, I'm going to make you proud." With his resolve in mind, the young teen closed his eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

Author's Note 1: In the next episode, the team finally arrive in Oreburgh. However, their gym battle will have to wait as something goes down in the mines. Will Wes, Ridley, and Rui be able to solve this mystery? Keep reading to find out.

Author's Note 2: For those that don't know, the titles of the past (and future) chapters are the same titles of songs. Bet you don't know who they're from or what album? Get it right, you get a cookie. lol


	5. Episode 5: Rowdy Rumble

Episode 5: Rowdy Rumble

With the rising sun shining high above their campsite, the group woke up to a new day. Cleaning up the area and putting out their fire, the three continued on through Route 203. They then entered through a small cave known commonly as the Oreburgh Gate. Using this opportunity, Wes trained his Kirlia, hoping to help revive its normalcy. After facing a few minor opponents and wild Pokemon inside, the group found their way to the exit on the other side. After they traversed through the woods, they were welcomed by a rather expected sight. In the shape of small, humble buildings and a mining zone, the trio knew they were finally at their destination. "At last, Oreburgh City," Wes said. "This is the place."

"_Man, talk about straight-up nostalgia,"_ Ridley thought. _"This feels just like Pewter back in the day!"_

"Ridley, who's the opponent we're suppose to face?" Wes asked.

Pulling out his book and flipping through the pages, Ridley stopped on the information and read it. "The guy we're supposed to fight is Roark. The dude uses Rock-Type Pokes in battle."

"Rock-types, huh?"

"Aren't Rock-types weak against Water?" Rui asked.

"And Grass and Ground," Wes added. "Too bad I don't have any of those right now."

"Hah!" Ridley replied. "Guess that means I get first dibs!"

"Wait!" Wes replied. "What are you talking about?"

"I have the Pokes that can get the job done and the experience to match."

"You might have the types, but nothing's as tough as Espeon and Umbreon."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Please settle down, you two," Rui said as she placed herself between both young men. "We should first get to the Pokemon Center and heal your Pokemon."

Both trainers glared at one another for a few moments before giving a sigh. "Fine," they each said reluctantly.

"I'm still going first, man," Ridley replied just as they started leaving.

"That's what you think," Wes said.

* * *

Not too far away, a large building overlooked the city. Inside its walls, stands and glass covered tables filled its rooms. From minerals to fossils, coal rocks to footprints, treasures from the earth were on exhibit for all to see. This building was the Oreburgh Mining Museum, a place where many people flock for its knowledge and exhibits. Of course, among the visitors was one with a rather sinister mind set: Kawagata.

After his plans in Jubilife failed, the Rocket turned his attention to his next target. Standing in front of a fossil, Kawagata inspected the piece. _"It's amazing how a creature that lived millions of years ago can be studied by only a mere remnant like this,"_ he thought. He then turned to the front where two scientists stood at the information booth. Behind them was a door with a sign that said "Restricted Area." _"And to top it all off, we have the technology to resurrect these ancient beasts. I am enthralled by the world we live in."_

"Kawagata, sir," said a man standing next to him wearing a closed cloak and a large hat. Sitting on his face was an exaggeratedly large mustache that anyone could tell was fake.

Kawagata turned to him with a rather confused stare. If this was the man's idea of being inconspicuous, then he had failed miserably. "A member of Galactic, correct?" the Rocket asked, hoping to finish this business quickly before any suspicion is drawn.

"Yes, sir," the man said. "I am here to report that operations at the mine are going as planned. We have the workers under our control. Also…" Reaching into his cloak, the man revealed a large rock. Imbedded in the stone, a large a small, egg-shaped object poked out from it.

Kawagata smiled, knowing full well what it was. "A present for me?" he asked. "And it's not even my birthday yet. Glorious." He took the stone from the Galactic agent, gazing at it for a few seconds. "The Shield Fossil. Quite a piece of work from mother nature herself." He turned back to the "disguised" Galactic teammate. "Return to the quarry and make sure they continue their work. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Sir!" With his orders given, the cloaked operative left the building.

"This small stone is the key to my plans." Carrying the rock in his hands, Kawagata left his post and made his way to the front desk.

* * *

After healing their Pokemon at the center, the trio continued to the gym. Rui could only listen as the two males continued arguing over who would get the top billing for the badge. They soon arrived at the front of the gym. It was a good sized building made of stone. Neither of them had ever seen such a structure before. "Man, someone went over board…" Ridley said to himself.

"So this is it," Wes said. His fist clenched in determination as a small smile cracked on his face. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

"I don't think we can," Rui said. She walked up to door and pointed to a small note. "It says that it's closed."

"What?"

"Oh come on!" Ridley said. "That's messed up! Where he at?"

"It says he's at the mine," Rui answered.

"The mine… That's on the southern part of the city," Wes said. "Let's get going. I can't wait any longer for my challenge."

"Your challenge?" Ridley replied. "I'm thinkin' you mean mine, son!"

"As if," Wes said passively.

"Race ya!" Quickly the black trainer hurried to the quarry in full speed.

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Wes, not wanting to loose, hurried in hot pursuit. The tails of his coat blew in the wind as he picked up speed. Rui only sighed over their rivalry before she quickly followed.

* * *

The Oreburgh Mine. A large quarry built in the southern mountains near the city. With its rich resources of minerals and other earthly materials, it is one of the most fertile mining areas of Sinnoh. However, unlike most, this quarry is environmentally friendly. This means that wild Pokemon can still thrive without any damage from human labor. It is also a place where many trainers hone their skills and catch the cave-dwelling forms which live here.

However, before Ridley could even enter the cave, two men with green ball hair blocked his path. The two wore identical clothing: white and black shirts and pants with grey ribbed sleeves and lower legs and white boots. They also had a slanted G decorating their chests. So much for a welcomed visit. "Sorry kid. This place is closed," one of the men said.

"Turn back now," said the second man.

"Man, what are you talkin' about, you lime lookin' bitches?" Ridley replied. "This place ain't down! What gives?"

"We are in the middle of some important business," replied the second man. "Now leave or we will be forced to extract you from the premises!"

"You wanna mess wit' me, foo'?" Ridley asked as his hand hovered over the Pokeballs on his belt.

It didn't take long for Wes and Rui to appear. They stopped just behind their travel companion who seemed to be ready to battle. "What are you doing now?" Wes asked in a dry tone. "We're supposed to be inside for the gym leader."

"Tell it to these chumps," Ridley said. "They won't let me through."

"What?" Rui asked. "Why not? I thought this mine was open to all trainers."

Wes eyed the two men suspiciously. Something about these two just didn't sit well with him (aside from dressing in the same ridiculous outfit and hairstyle). Using experience he gained on his travels around Orre, the rogue decided to call their bluff. "You two aren't mine workers," the Orre native said sternly. "What business do you have here?"

"It's none of your concern, kid," the first man said. "Now I'm not gonna tell you again to be gone!"

Wes turned to Ridley, who also glanced back. "Guess we're a little deaf," Wes replied as he pulled out his Pokeball. "You might want to speak up."

"We'll be moppin' the floor wit' you punks," Ridley said after he also grabbed one of his capsules.

"Fine, have it your way!" shouted the second man. "Zubat, go!"

"Sandshrew, attack!" replied the first man. Released from their balls was a small blue bat with purple wings and long appendages for legs. It had no eyes but a large mouth. The other was a small mouse-like creature with gold skin. It had stubby legs and arms and a white underbelly.

"Croconaw, let's get dirty!"

"Kirlia, let's go!" Released from their balls, Croconaw gave a loud roar as Kirlia spun like a ballerina.

"You sent out Kirlia?" Ridley asked, somewhat confused.

"This is just another battle to help purify it," Wes said.

"I get ya." The black trainer turned to his Pokemon. "Yo, Croc. Knock off the mole with Ice Fang!" Rushing toward Sandshrew, Croconaw opened its blunt jaws, revealing its sharp teeth which turned light blue.

"Sandshrew! Get out of the way and use Dig!" upon its trainer's command, the little ground-type tried to dodge the strike. It was mostly a success, but the reptile managed to bite some of its tail. Sandshrew wiggled out of the Pokemon's jaws before burrowing into the ground.

"Zubat! Supersonic!" Using its ecolocation, the bat fired a sonic wave straight at Kirlia and Wes.

The two covered their ears from the high-pitched screech. "Kirlia! Confusion, now!" With its crests and body glowing bright blue, Kirlia focused on the aerial foe. The enemy suddenly stopped using its sonar as its body was blanketed in the aura. In less than a minute, Zubat crashed to the ground hard.

"No!"

"Now end it with Shadow Blitz!" With its body wrapped in a dark aura, Kirlia dashed toward the downed bat. Helpless due to its inability to take to the air, the creature was tackled by the psychic-type's move. Bouncing for about a few feet, Zubat fainted.

Meanwhile, Croconaw was having problems trying to catch Sandshrew in its jaws. The mouse Pokemon kept breaching from the tunnels, tackling it before retreating underground again. Though the damage was minimal, the enemy's strategy was getting on the Big Jaw Pokemon and its trainer's last nerve. "Man, what you think this is? Some glitch shooter? Stand still."

The enemy laughed. "What? And let you get the upperhand? With my strategy, this battle is in the bag."

Ridley only scoffed at the strange man's confidence. "Don't look now, but yo' bag's got some holes. And the stuff's gonna get real wet. Croconaw, water gun the hole Sandshrew just dug!" Taking Ridley's advice, Croconaw rushed to the enemy's last burrow and unleashed a powerful stream of water. At first, the ground began to shake for a few seconds before each of the tunnel entrances exploded with water shooting into the air like geysers. Forced out from one of the holes was the enemy Sandshrew being juggled in the air by one of the pillars. Once Croconaw finished its attack, the foe crashed to the ground with spinning eyes. The battle was over.

"How could this happen!?" shouted one of the men.

"This is not right! We lost to a couple of children!" hollered the other man.

Wes and Ridley returned their Pokemon to their balls. "Alright, spill it," Wes said. "Who are you guys and what's going on."

"We of Team Galactic are in the middle of important research! That is all you fools need to know!" replied the Zubat trainer.

"Team Galactic?" Rui asked.

"Right, the group Kawagata was goin' on about. No wonder you chumps are in those freaky threads."

"You may have been able to defeat us, but there is no way you can stop our plans!" said the Sandshrew trainer.

"And what plan would that be?" Wes asked with folded arms.

"Hah! Like we'd tell you that we're using the miner to dig up every fossil in the quarry and transport the large coal block from here." All five individuals were silent as the grunt replayed the information he had said. Knowing that he let out the secret, he smacked both hands on his forehead in shame. "Oh no!" he shouted while the heroes only smiled.

"You damn idiot!" the other Galactic grunt hissed. "Why did you spill!?"

"I didn't mean to!" the big mouth whined. "It just came out!"

"Grr…" Turning to the young trainers, the comrade simply scoffed. "Hmph. Whatever. It's not like they can do anything about it," he said before turning to his teammate. "Come on. Let's get out of here." With a nod from his ally, the two hurried away from the site.

"Those two are straight-up whack," Ridley said with folded arms.

"So they're planning on trying to move the fossils and coal here?" Rui said. "Why would they do that?"

"Who knows why," Wes said. "What matters is that we stop them and rescue the miners inside."

With their mission at hand, the three hurried into the mine. Once inside, the three traveled through the first chamber, a large space cleared by years of mining. Above them, a small colony of Zubats roosted and fluttered about. Rui, a little nervous by the rumored blood-suckers, dug her body into Ridley's arm. The black trainer patted her back as the followed behind Wes. By the time the reached the end of the floor, the trio were ambushed by a Team Galactic grunt, who leaped from the ceiling. "Haha!" he replied. "So we have another intruder, huh? I won't let you pass!"

"Is that a fact?" Wes said, unimpressed by the tactic.

"Machop, let's go!" Released from the enemy's Pokeball was a child-sized Fighting-type Pokemon with a lean built and short tail. It's head, which was almost reptilian-like, had three short ridges on its head.

"This will be quick," Wes said. "Espeon, go!" Tossing his Pokeball forward, Espeon arrived on the scene. With its body low to the ground, the cat-like Eevee-lution glared down upon its foe.

"Machop, use Karate Chop!" ordered the grunt. Speeding toward Espion, Machop's hand was raised and ready to strike down upon the lavender beast.

Wes only smirked. "Now Espeon, use Confusion!" With its eyes shining blue, the Pokemon used its psychic abilities to knock the Fighting-type to the side before tossing it in the air. Machop then crashed to the ground, its eyes spinning in a daze.

"Grr… Return!" Holding the capsule, the Galactic member recalled his fainted creature. He then pulled out another ball from his belt. "That's it kid. Nosepass! Get out here, now!" Unleashed from the orb was a small Pokemon half its trainer's size. It looked similar to an Easter Island moai, with most of its body was composed of hard, grey stone and the large nose-like appendage being pink. It walked on stubby little legs and had small swinging arms.

Once it arrived on the scene, Rui instantly sensed the infamous dark aura. "Wes, look out! It's a Shadow Pokemon!"

"Alright," Wes said. "Espeon, Confusion! Let's go!" Giving a howl, the Psychic-type used its power once more. However, due to its weight, Nosepass was only tossed a few feet, the damage not as hard.

"Oh, I thought this would be a quick?" the Galactic grunt insulted. "Nosepass! Shadow Wave!" With its body blanketed in a dark aura, the Shadow Pokemon shook its body violently. As it did, waves of darkness spread in all directions. Espeon was hit by the attack.

"Espeon! Swift now!" In retaliation for the earlier attack, Espeon fired a barrage of golden stars from its mouth. The strikes landed only light hits due to the enemy's rock hard hide. Seeminly

"Rock Tomb!" Upon hearing the order, Nosepass summoned a number of stones from the ground. Hovering in the air, the boulders launched forward, hoping to pile on the Psychic-type.

Espeon, seeing the rocks coming toward it, used its speed to dodge the rocks. Wes gritted his teeth. _"This is bad,"_ he thought. _"I need to think of something before it gets trapped."_ Then an idea popped into Wes' head. _"That's it!"_ "Espeon! Use Quick Attack to get passed the boulders!" Acknowledging the strategy, Espeon dashed forward, leaving a bright trail as it moved. Using its speed, Espeon dodged the flying rocks as well as leaping off one stone to another.

Now the Pokemon was in mid-air above Nosepass. "What the hell!?" the enemy shouted.

"Excellent Espeon!" Wes congratulated. "Now Psybeam! Full blast!" Quickly, Espeon unleashed a strong, multicolored beam from the gem on its head. The psychic energy connected with the enemy Nosepass and it fell backward to the ground.

The Rock-type struggled to get back to its legs, but was unable to do so. "Get up! Nosepass!" its trainer shouted.

"_It's weakened. Now's my chance."_ Pulling an empty Pokeball from his belt, the Snag Machine started to charge. Once the capsule started glowing, the teen launched the Snag Ball at Nosepass. Once the ball bounced off the creature's body, the Shadow Pokemon was sucked inside. Now lying on the ground, the Snag Ball started shaking and blinking rapidly. In a few seconds, the ball became still and the light in the center fainted. Wes had just caught another Shadow. "That's one more down."

"Argh! Useless paperweight!" hissed the Galactic grunt. "That Kawagata guy said it was unstoppable. I should've known better than to listen to him." He then turned and saw Wes and Ridley glaring death at him. Both trainers were ready to extract punishment upon him. "I better… I better scat." Quickly, the underling hurried past the three and ran out of the cave.

"Nice work, Wes," Rui said. "You caught one more Shadow."

"True that," Ridley said. "But we ain't out the woods yet. The big piece of coal those pricks were talking about is just ahead."

"Which means that's where the miners and possibly Kawagata are at," Wes added. "Are you two ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"As long as you two are here, I have nothing to worry about," Rui said.

Prepped and ready to continue down the next level, the three hurried through the entrance. The second chamber was larger than the previous room. In the center was a large coal cube, which was the mine's claim to fame. The miners, who worked in this quarry, sat on the ground as they were towered over by the Team Galactic henchmen. This included one worker, who wore a red hard hat and grey clothes kneeling in fatigue. Before him stood none other than the Team Rocket member, Kawagata. Alongside him stood his Shadow Crawdaunt, which stared down upon the enemy. "So this is the strength of a Sinnoh Gym Leader," he said. "I'm not impressed."

"Y-You…" the man said. "I won't let you get away with this."

"But you have no choice," Kawagata said. "Thanks to the sediments and its location, we can excavate the minerals. It will serve more use for us than for someone like yourself as will your workers."

"Mr. Roark, sir!" called one of the concerned miners.

"So that's what's up, huh?" Ridley shouted. Kawagata quickly turned his attention to the black trainer and his comrades.

"Ah, Ridley. And Wes, was it? How good of you to arrive."

"That's why you and your chumps came? For a bunch of rocks?"

Kawagata gave a smirk. "Not just any rocks, fool. Oreburgh Mine is one of the richest fossil and coal deposits of Sinnoh. This quarry will be picked clean as we use the minerals here to power our machines and the precious fossils to create an army of prehistoric proportions."

"You're kidding!" Rui shouted.

"You're telling me you're going to use ancient Pokemon?" Wes asked. "We won't let you get away with that!"

"Oh no? Shieldon, I summon you!" Tossing one Pokeballs forward, Kawagata released a smaller Pokemon to the field. Looking like a baby Ceratopian dinosaur, it walked on all fours and had a large, egg shaped head, a small round body, and short tail.

"What is that?" Rui asked. "I've never seen it before."

"That's because it's supposed to be extinct," Roark said. "That's Shieldon, a prehistoric Pokemon."

"He's right," Kawagata said as he returned Shieldon to its Pokeball. "Thanks to the Museum's lazarus technology, I was able to resurrect this beast. Soon, Team Galactic and Rocket shall acquire more like it. And once they become Shadows, we'll be unstoppable."

"Not while my black ass is standing," Ridley replied.

"I'm joining, as well," Wes said. "That Crawdaunt he has is a Shadow Pokemon. We can't let it get away."

"Ho ho! So you're going to use tag team tactics," the Rocket replied. "I only want to fight the gangsta wannabe. We have history, you know."

"Yeah, right. You're just afraid that I'll snag that Crawdaunt from you."

Kawagata only scoffed. "I believe I'm covering my bases. Your mocking demeanor is typical for a desert punk." Wes only scowled at the Rocket member who turned back to Ridley. "Why don't we make things interesting. Like a double battle."

"And why should I agree to that?" Ridley asked. "I say the two of us rush you now!"

"Fine, do as you wish. However, I would advise against such actions. Otherwise…" Just then, a trio of Team Galactic grunts surrounded Rui. The girl stood in horror as she was restrained by the men. She yelped, trying hard to struggle out of the predicament, but it was no good as the underlings had her binded by the arms and legs.

"Dammit! Rui!" Wes called. He then turned and snarled at Kawagata. "Damn you, Kawagata!"

"Don't worry, boy," Kawagata said. "I do have a sense of chivalry, after all. What you should be worried about is whether they do?"

"Fine, you win," Ridley said as he pulled out a Pokeball.

"Hold on," Wes replied as he held a Pokeball. "Go, Espeon!" the ex-Snaggem member tossed his capsule, releasing his lavender fox-like creature. "Espeon, I need you to help Ridley," Wes said. "Make sure he wins that match."

"Is you for real?" Ridley asked in surprise. Espeon also turned to its trainer with a tilted head.

Wes nodded. "You only have three Pokemon in your possession. Espeon will help even out the playing field." He then turned back to his Pokemon. "Do this for Rui, okay?"

Espeon purred before it hurried to Ridley's side, sitting by him patiently. "Thanks, Wes," the black trainer said. "I got this."

After releasing his Pokemon to Ridley's possession, two Galactic members restrained the Orre native. "Touching. Absolutely dramatic," Kawagata replied. "I'm seeing a male bonding forming here. Almost a sign of kinship. What a moment this is."

"Shut up, Kawagata and get ready!" Ridley shouted. "For Rui, I'm gonna go all out on your ass."

"Good. Because my victory wouldn't be as delicious if your confidence wasn't so high," said a confident Kawagata with his two Pokeballs. He then tossed them forward, shouting, "Graveler, Electrabuzz, take come to me!" Released from their containment units, the two beasts roared, ready to fight.

"_If I use Croconaw, Electabuzz will zap it till next week,"_ Ridley thought. _"And if I use Charmeleon, Graveler would bury it like a dog with a bone."_ He then turned to Espeon, who looked up at him with its large purple eyes. _"Espeon's type gives it some protection and Grovyle has an edge over Electabuzz. So I guess it's up to them."_ "Aight Espeon, do that mojo you do so well." Espeon charged in and stood in front of its substitute trainer, its back raised and tail held high. He then pulled out a Pokeball from his belt and tossed it forward. "Grovyle, show them your green thumb!" Arriving next to Espeon, Grovyle growled toward its opponents as it shook the leaves on its arms. "Now I go first. Grovyle, bust of cap with Bullet Seed on Graveler! Espeon, give Electrabuzz a mind numbing Psybeam!" Upon orders, Grovyle launched a flurry of yellow seeds at Graveler as Electrabuzz quickly dodged the psychic attack.

Kawagata turned to his dual rock-ground type, who was being pelted by the attack. "Graveler, use Dig! Electabuzz, Thunderpunch on Espeon!" As Electabuzz rushed at Espeon, Graveler quickly used its long arms to kick up dirt, leaving a large hole in its place. With its fists charged in electricity, Electabuzz landed a right haymaker at the psychic-type, sending Espeon into the air.

"Espeon!" Wes called.

"I got it!" replied Ridley. "Now, use Confusion and follow that sucker with Swift!" Quickly, Espeon recovered in the air and used Confusion to stop the enemy electric-type's movements. Injured and immobile, Electabuzz was unable to dodge a stream of stars fired from the purple carbuncle's mouth. Suddenly, the ground below the psychic-type's feet began to crack. Ridley knew what was happening and quickly ordered, "Espeon! Dodge that attack!" The lavender beast quickly hopped back as the enemy Graveler erupted from the ground. Now airborne, the black teen saw his opportunity. "Grovyle! Time to pull a ronin with Leaf Blade!" With the order given, the grass-type leaped in the air and sliced the living boulder with its arm leaves. A super effective hit, Graveler was tossed back near Kawagata, nearly missing the now standing Electabuzz by mere inches.

"Yeah! Way to go, Ridley!" Rui replied.

Kawagata stared at his fallen Pokemon with a cold glance. "Perhaps I should implement other treatments on you," he said as he recalled the Pokemon back to its orb. "Crawdaunt! Come to me!" Kawagata replaced his fainted Pokemon with the powerful Shadow crayfish. The giant crustacean bashed its two pincers on the ground and growled. "What will you do now, Ridley? Even with the type advantage, your Pokemon are still underrated compared to my Shadow. Too bad Wes is unable to help you."

"You're wrong, chump!" Ridley replied. "He helped me by letting me use Espeon. And he's making sure Rui doesn't get hurt. That's all the help a brother like me needs." Kawagata only scoffed at Ridley's explanation. _"Alright, Crawdaunt's a water-dark Pokemon that lives in ponds. We're in the middle of a cave. Plus it's heavier, meaning it's a slow mover compared to these guys. I just need to hit it fast and hard. But first…"_ "Espeon, Grovyle, double team on Electabuzz!" Hearing the order, both Pokemon charged forward at the striped foe. Electabuzz braced itself, ready to fight off its adversaries.

"Child's play," Kawagata replied. "Crawdaunt, Bubblebeam! Now!" Quickly, the giant crayfish aimed one of its pincers at the oncoming Pokemon and fired a stream of bubbles.

Seeing this, Ridley decided to initiate another part of his plan. "Grovyle, shield Espeon against the attack." The grass-type reptile sped in front of Espeon and crossed its arms. It was now blocking against the bursts of water with all its willpower. "Now Espeon, Psybeam on Electabuzz!" Quickly, Espeon jumped over Grovyle and fired its psychic energy at the Electric-type. Before the information could be processed, Electabuzz was hit by the burst and fell to the ground defeated. "Hah! What's good now, Kawagata!" Ridley began. "I though you was supposed to be beating me!?"

"Don't think that because half of my team have fallen, gives you the right to celebrate," the Rocket member said as he recalled his Pokemon. "Now I have a new addition to my team. And I'm sure it will be enough to cull your motley crew."

"What are you saying?"

"Shieldon, come forth!" Appearing on the field was a small Pokemon which looked like a miniature ceratopian dinosaur. It had a large oval-shaped black head with a stocky brown body. It stood on four stubby legs with a short tail. "Behold, my reborn Shieldon. Resurrected from a fossil from this very mine!"

"That's supposed to scare me?" Ridley said. "It looks like a chibified reject from The Land of the Lost or whatever."

"Be careful…" Roark warned from his resting spot. "That prehistoric Pokemon isn't just a Rock-type, it's also part Steel."

"Steel, too? That's new." Ridley was well acquainted with Steel-type Pokemon. With their high Defense and Special Defense stat, they were a resilient force to be reckoned with. The black trainer turned to Espeon with worry. _"Espeon needs a break,"_ he thought. _"Besides, Espeon wouldn't have much effect on either of them."_ "Yo, Espeon!" Ridley called. The lavender carbuncle turned to face him. "You were cool out there. Time for you to hit the lay back and watch the rest of the show." Understanding Ridley's statement, Espeon walked over to the young trainer's side and sat next to him. "Alright, time for my next draft pick!" Ridley said as he pulled a Pokeball from his pocket. "Croconaw, it's time to flood 'em out!" The Kanto native tossed his orb forward and released his Big Jaw Pokemon. The Water-type growled as it stood next to Grovyle.

Both Ridley and Kawagata traded glares. The Rocket knew that he was now down to half of his party. Even though his Shadow might have some advantage, Shieldon was still a rather average beast. Even so, he had a strategy ready to be employed. One that would surely prove successful. "My move!" he replied. "Crawdaunt, Vicegrip!" Using its thick legs, the Water-type hurried over to Ridley's Pokemon, its pincers clapping open and closed.

"Grovyle, Leaf Blade!" Ridley called. Grovyle charged toward the enemy with its arm leaves glowing. Once the two met, claws and blades collided. The two began parrying blows, swinging armed limbs and dodging strikes. The outcome of their last battle was still on Grovyle's mind and it wanted retribution. With Grovyle keeping one of the opponents busy, Ridley turned to Croconaw, who was watching the battle. "Croconaw, time to show him why crocs survived! Water Gun on Shieldon! Full power!" The blue Pokemon aim and fired a stream of water at the small ceratopian.

"Typical," Kawagata said. "Shieldon, Protect!" Before the water made contact, Shieldon created a spherical barrier around its body. Once the water made impact with the barrier, it bounced off in all directions. Even with all the force behind the attack, the enemy's Protect still held up. Once the attack had finished, Kawagata went in for a counterattack. "Now use Metal Sound!" Shieldon opened its mouth a released a high-pitched screech that echoed through the cave. Ridley, Croconaw, and everyone in the sound blast's path tried to cover their ears and fight the wind. Grovyle and Crawdaunt were still going at it, with the reptilian using its speed to land hits over the slower, stockier enemy.

"Ah! It's so loud!" Rui screamed.

"Damn it, Ridley! Stop that attack!" Wes replied.

"You think I don't know that, son!?" Ridley shot back. "Croconaw, stop this track Water Gun!" Once more, the Big Jaw Pokemon fired another stream at its opponent. However, thanks to enemy's screeching, the larger Pokemon failed to make a direct hit, only blasting the ground near it. The ear-splitting sound ceased as the diminutive Steel/Rock-type was sent flying a few feet back. The damage wasn't too severe, but was still enough. Ridley then turned back to Grovyle, who seemed to be having the upperhand against its opponent. However, the enemy Crawdaunt was displaying its resiliency and managed to jab at the more agile Pokemon with its pincers. Knowing that his comrade cannot keep this up, Ridley decided to issue another order. "Grovyle, time to get green! Mega Drain!" The tree-gecko Pokemon distanced itself from Crawdaunt and opened its mouth. With a glowing ball of energy held in its jaws, Grovyle began siphoning its foe's energy.

Kawagata took notice at his Shadow Pokemon's predicament. As strong as Crawdaunt was, that Mega Drain would spell the end if he didn't do something. "Such tactics will not work against me," replied the Rocket. "Crawdaunt! Execute Shadow End!" With its dark aura shrouding its body, Crawdaunt rushed Grovyle with blinding speed.

The Grass-type had accumulated much energy, but it was not enough to keep it from falling. Even though it was now outmatched, Grovyle tried to return to its feet in an effort to continue. Ridley glanced at Grovyle and remembered the outcome of their last confrontation clearly. The last thing he wanted was to see a repeat with a more severe endgame. _"There's a chance that Grovyle would bust that fool's ass. But after what happened last time and the fact that it can barely stand, I ain't gonna risk it."_ Ridley held up Grovyle's Pokeball and called his Pokemon back. "That's enough for now, Grovyle. You did good." The reptile nodded as a beam of red shot out and returned it to its orb. "Charmeleon, let them feel the burn!" Hurling another orb, Charmeleon was released with a loud growl.

"_Charmeleon?"_ Wes thought. _"Why would he send that out? It's at a disadvantage. Is it because he didn't want Grovyle to get hurt?"_

Kawagata only smirked. "Your reservations have clouded your judgement," he said. "And now you shall pay the price."

"We'll see, punk-ass," Ridley said. "After all, battle's are based on skill, fool. And you may have me cornered, but I'm like the animal Batista, ya heard. The claws are coming out now and my Pokes are ready to beat you down!" Hearing this, both Croconaw and Charmeleon growled at their enemies, ready to send the point across.

"That maybe so, Ridley. But the thing about cornered animals is that they either get euphemized or caught. With you, I will put an end to your story and be the proud new owner of your Pokemon." With this said, Kawagata began laughing. It was clear that, to him, victory was at hand. "Now Shieldon, fire Flash Cannon! Crawdaunt, launch Bubblebeam!" With the orders issued, Shieldon charged a bright light in its mouth before firing it as a beam. Crawdaunt also launched a trail of bubbles straight at its targets.

Even with both attacks coming toward his Pokemon, Ridley was seemingly calm. His face was filled with determination. "Time to hit 'em low," he said. "Croconaw, Dive! Charmeleon, Dig! Double time, homies!" Before the Bubblebeam landed, Charmeleon used its claws to shovel away the earth. Croconaw fired a stream of water on the terrain which creating a deep puddle which it hopped in, narrowly missing the Flash Cannon.

"Your Pokemon!" Kawagata replied. "But how!?"

"What? You thought all they knew were standard moves? I was in Hoenn for a while, ya know."

"Wes, where did Croconaw and Charmeleon go?" Rui asked.

"Right now, they're somewhere underground waiting to attack," Wes explained. "Both Dig and Dive are two-turn moves. They allow the users to avoid being hit by most attacks and to strike on the next."

"Alright!" Ridley said. "It's time for the grand finale! Croconaw, do what Free Willy does and breach that sucka!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Kawagata replied in a panicked tone. "Shieldon, Protect!" Quickly, Shieldon put up its protective barrier to defend itself against attack. However, what the Rocket member wasn't expecting Crawdaunt to be hit by Croconaw's breaching. The foe was shocked by the attack.

"Oops, my bad," Ridley said with a smirk. "If that pissed you off, then this is really gonna heat you up. Charmeleon, rise up!" From behind the crustacean, Charmeleon exploded out of the ground, kicking up rocks and dirt. The enemy Crawdaunt was tossed by the force of the attack. Thanks to the combined damage of both guerilla tactics, the giant crayfish fell to the ground with one last growl.

"Impossible…" Kawagata replied as he returned his Shadow Pokemon. At that moment, the Rocket was stunned by the loss of his all-powerful beast. However, he then became enraged. There was no way Ridley could have won so handily. "This is far from over!" he replied. "Shieldon, Flash Cannon! Full power!" Once more, the ancient Pokemon fired another ray of light at Croconaw in full force.

Before Croconaw could react, the Big Jaw Pokemon fell to the ground by the powerful blow. "Croconaw!" Ridley called in concern as he raced to his Johto starter.

"Oh no!" Rui replied. Wes became upset that Kawagata pulled such a tactic. Especially when he fired an attack with such force.

"Yo, Croc. You alright?" A worried Ridley asked. Croconaw opened its eyes and looked up at Ridley. Though injured, Croconaw still tried to assure its trainer that it was fine. "Look, after this, you rest up at the center. We cool?" The Water-type nodded as Ridley recalled his injured comrade. The black trainer then turned at his opponent with disgust. "I'll make you pay, you bastard!"

"Oh give it a rest," Kawagata said. "Don't get so close to your tool set. These creatures are merely products that must be used by a skilled hand."

"You're wrong, Kawagata!" Wes called. "Pokemon are not weapons or tools! They're living creatures that deserve the right to exist as fellow beings. People like you don't deserve to even have one. Especially when you turn them into heartless drones and force them into battle."

"So the rogue has a heart for these things," the Rocket quipped. "Preach all you want, but my opinion stands and I will not be denied victory! And now, Flash Cannon!" Once again, Shieldon began charging light in its mouth to unleash another attack.

Seeing this, Ridley knew that time was of the essence and ordered Charmeleon to strike. "Charmeleon, it's dim sum time! Flamethrower!" On command, Charmeleon fired a stream of burning flames that traveled and made contact with the enemy Shieldon. The foe was unable to continue its strike before succumbing to the flames. The battle was over and Ridley was declared the winner. "Yes! That's how a true gangsta gets business done!" he replied victoriously.

"Damn…" Kawagata hissed under his breath.

"Ridley, you won!" Rui replied in both relief and joy as she and Wes walked over to his location.

"Not bad, Ridley," Wes said with a calm demeanor. "Not bad at all."

"Thanks, homies!" Ridley replied. "Hell, was there any doubt I'd win."

"To be honest…" Hearing this, a sweatdrop formed on Ridley's head.

"How naïve," Kawagata replied coldly, interrupting the trio's party. "You may have won this battle, but that doesn't change anything. We still control this mine. If I was able to resurrect Shieldon, think about a whole mob of ancient beasts ready to take you and your pals down."

"Think again," Roark replied as he was helped to his feet by a couple of his mine workers. "I was able to get in touch with Officer Jenny. In a few minutes, you and these Galactic grunts will all be hauled to jail."

Hearing this, many of the Galactic members began talking amongst themselves about their situation. "I don't want to go to jail," one of them said.

"Jail!? I'm trying to be a lawyer!" replied another.

"Oh crap!" exclaimed a third. "Grandma's gonna kill me!"

"That's not all," Roark explained. "We also have plenty of extra workers on their way to back them up! You seem like a smart person, Kawagata. What are your chances of fighting back?"

Kawagata was not thrilled to hear of his situation. He knew that his current company would not hold up against the law or the extra miners. It would be wise to cut his losses and have another chance later on. "You should consider yourselves lucky," the Rocket member said. "Especially you Ridley. I will not rest until that Charmeleon is as good as mine."

"You know I'm always good for a throw down," Ridley said. "Too bad you always loose though."

Kawagata only growled before pulling out smoke pellets from his pockets and throwing them on the ground. The chamber was covered in a thick cover of smoke. Everyone in the mine covered their faces, coughing from the black haze. Once it subsided, Kawagata and all of Team Galactic had disappeared. "Looks like those rats managed scurried away," Wes replied.

"Come on, we should go outside, too," Roark said to the group. "I think a little fresh air would do all of us some good." All three members nodded in agreement as they followed the man and his excavation team out of the quarry. Outside, the entrance was blocked by police cars and news vehicles. Miners were being interviewed by numerous reporters and getting their statements filled by on-duty officers. Roark and the team pushed passed the reporters, not wanting to get their faces on the media. Except for Ridley, who tried to brag about his exploits. However, Wes and Rui tugged him away in order to preserve their anonymity.

* * *

It was late afternoon once the four arrived at the Oreburgh City Gym. Lights from the lamp posts were starting to flicker on and a calm warm breeze swept passed them. It was good to return to civilization instead of being in that cave all day. "I want to thank you again for saving me and my people from Team Galactic and sorry if it took too much of your time."

"No sweat, Roark," Ridley said. "Kicking punk-asses like Galactic grunts are our specialty."

"It's too bad that we failed to capture Crawdaunt again," Wes said with a low head. "Who knows what their doing to it now."

"Wes…" Rui said with a hand on his arm. "We'll have another chance at rescuing it."

The Orre native sighed. "I hope so. And all the other Shadow Pokemon out there as well."

"Anyways, you're here for a battle, right?" Roark asked.

"You know it!" Ridley replied. "And I'm betting as a gym leader, you'd want to go up against great pimpin', a.k.a. moi."

"Not a chance," Wes said. "I'm the one that managed to snag two Pokemon!"

"With my help, homeboy! Besides, it was my hardcore swag that K.O.'d Kawagata!"

"Yeah. With one of my Pokemon, remember?"

"Guys, could you please stop arguing?" Rui asked.

"How about this," Roark said. "Tomorrow morning, you two come back here and I'll tell you who I want to battle then. Besides, after everything's that's happened today, it would be a good idea if we all rested up."

"He's right," Rui said. "Plus it's getting pretty late." Ridley and Wes nodded in agreement. After all that happened today, it would be best if their Pokemon had the time to recuperate.

"Well, you be cool, Roark," Ridley said.

"Right. And you too." Saying their goodbyes, Roark entered the gym and thought about who he would battle first. Meanwhile, the trio entered the Pokemon Center on the other side of town. With their rooms booked and their Pokemon being recovered, Ridley, Rui, and Wes went to their beds and fell asleep. Tomorrow they would need their energy in order to fight their first Sinnoh gym leader.

* * *

Author's Note 1: Sorry about the late update. You see, I've been really busy. I had to focus on school in order to pass the finals. Which I did, thank you. Plus, I've been trying to finish my other, more mature Bleach fanfic.

But more importantly, my mom passed away in early April due to complications of pneumonia and MS. It's hard, but I have no choice but to try and move on. Not saying I'll forget her, but my mom would want me to continue on with my life.

Well, anyway, for those who thought this was a dead story, think again. More chapters will be coming in soon. You can be sure of that.

Author's Note 2: With this story, I'm thinking of making pairings between characters. However, it won't be one solid pairing. As the story progresses and the plot thickens, the characters' bonds will strengthen between one another and other people. Also, another character (hint: it's a female canon character and not one of those over the top OCs thank god) will join their group later on. You can guess the pairings if you want, but I won't tell who it is. Haha!


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